The largest and most urgent catastrophe confronting the globe now is climate change, which is putting society and the planet’s future at greater risk and uncertainty. There has never been a more critical moment for broad global collaboration and action as dangers to the lives and futures of people, communities, and entire ecosystems grow.
Extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity due to climate change. It is also causing problems with water management, decreasing agricultural productivity and food security, raising health risks, destroying vital infrastructure, and interfering with the provision of essential services, including electricity, transportation, education, and the availability of clean water.
Climate change will have an impact on every individual, in every nation, and on every continent. There will soon be a climatic disaster, and we are not equipped to handle the consequences. The average global temperature rose by 0.85 °C between 1880 and 2012. Sea levels have increased, ice and snow levels have dropped, and ocean temperatures have warmed. Sea level rise caused an average worldwide rise in sea level of 19 cm between 1901 and 2010. From 1979 until now, the area of Arctic sea ice has decreased every ten years. Since 1990, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have grown globally by almost 50%. Emissions rose more quickly between 2000 and 2010 than they did in any of the three decades prior.
Climate change would adversely affect every ecosystem and raise the average world temperature by more than 3°C if it were not controlled. We are already witnessing how climate change may worsen storms and other natural catastrophes, as well as raise the possibility of food and water shortages and violence. We shall pay significantly more for doing nothing than for acting right now.
The rights and well-being of everyone on a healthy, affluent planet are the focus of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was approved by world leaders in 2015 when they convened to address this pressing issue. They also pledged to ensure this goal historically. Climate change is particularly addressed in Goal 13.
The United Nations not only established SDG 13 but also launched several other programs to save the environment. “Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated recently at the UN Conference of the Parties to Climate Change (COP26). We continue to bang on the door of climate disaster. “We need to go to emergency mode immediately, or else our chances of ever achieving net zero are nil.
The prognosis can be bleak. But the good news is that each of us has the power to significantly alter that narrative.” A response to the climate emergency is required from all of us. Everyone has a part to play in achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to UNEP Climate Change Coordinator Niklas Hagelberg. “We, as individuals, must change our consumption habits and put pressure on those who represent us—our employers, our politicians—to move to an increasingly low-carbon world.”
He again offered ten potential fixes for a more environmentally friendly future at COP-26. Urge your loved ones, coworkers, and friends to lessen their carbon impact. Participate in a worldwide campaign like Count Us In, which aims to mobilize one billion people to take up the cause of climate change and to push their leaders to act more audaciously. Select a concern you have for the environment, choose a particular change request, and then make an effort to schedule a meeting with your local representative. Though it may sound frightening, your voice has to be heard. For mankind to effectively address the climate problem, politicians need to be involved in finding solutions. We must all continue to apply pressure.
Approximately 25% of greenhouse gas emissions are related to transportation, and several countries globally are enacting regulations to curtail travel. Heads up: Whenever feasible, leave your car at home and instead walk or ride a bike. When traveling large distances, use public transportation—ideally electrified ones. Offer to carpool with others if you must drive in order to reduce the number of automobiles on the road. Invest in an electric vehicle to stay ahead of the curve. Cut back on the number of lengthy flights you take.
Make the move to a renewable or zero-carbon energy source, if at all possible. Equip your roof with solar panels. Reduce your heat by one or two degrees to be more energy-efficient. When you’re not using appliances or lights, turn them off. Purchasing seasonal and local food will help you lower your meal’s carbon impact. In addition to lowering the emissions of fossil fuels from transportation and cold chain storage, you will assist local farmers and small enterprises. Comparing sustainable agriculture to traditional farming, it can result in up to 56% lower energy use, 64% fewer emissions, and increased biodiversity.
A third of the food that is produced is lost or thrown away. The UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report 2021 states that 1 billion tons of food are wasted annually worldwide, accounting for 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions. Buy only what you need to avoid wasting money. More carbon emissions are produced by the fashion business (8–10%) than by international travel and shipping all together. Additionally, the phenomenon of “fast fashion” has created a culture where clothing is thrown in the trash rather than being used for a long time. It appears to occur. However, we are able to alter that. Wear your clothing longer and buy fewer new ones. Instead of purchasing new things that will only be worn once, look for labels that are meant to last and consider renting goods for special occasions. Recycle used clothing and make repairs as needed.
A quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the annual destruction of 12 million hectares of forests, which is in addition to deforestation, agriculture, and other land-use changes. By planting trees, either individually or collectively, we may all contribute to reversing this trend. One such program that enables people to finance tree planting worldwide is Plant for the Planet.
UNEP is at the forefront of support for the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming below 2°C and the goal of being safe for -1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. UNEP has created a six-sector solution to do this. The six-sector approach is a plan for attaining climate sustainability and cutting emissions in all sectors in accordance with the promises made in the Paris Agreement. The six sectors that have been selected are: transportation; forestry and land use; energy; buildings and cities; and agriculture and the food industry.
The writer is a student of “BSIR” at “International Islamic University Islamabad” and a member of PYDIR.