The climate change imperative: Why green is the only way forward

Climate change is an indisputable reality and it is worsening with each passing year. Temperatures around the globe have risen to 1.1 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial levels and it is devastatingly affecting the environment, habitats, and natural ecosystem of the globe.

The year 2020 marked new highs in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Increase in carbon gas and methane gas in the environment, mainly due to anthropogenic climate disruptions, have created a way for heat to be trapped into the earth and prevent its way back to the atmosphere. Due to which, global temperatures have risen and what follows are flooding, drought, volcano eruptions, loss of biodiversity, extreme weather conditions, meltdown of glaciers and rising sea levels.

According to an estimate, 700 million people will be affected by drought and flooding by the year 2030. Ironically, the people most affected by climate change are not the producers of harmful substances and gases and have benefited the least from the economic activity. Moreover, climate change is prone to exacerbate inequality and accelerate poverty in society, consequently, giving way to mass migrations, economic collapse and wars. Scientists call it the state of “planetary emergency”.  It is expected that if climate change is not curtailed, it will ultimately change the course of civilisation.  

     Increase in greenhouse gas emissions is substantially the result of business activities. Although, economists and business leaders pertain to the subject of how they can mitigate climate change with zero impact on profitable financial growth; however, studies indicate that businesses cannot proceed as usual without some reduction in financial growth if they are to operate sustainably, without impacting the environment. Moreover, production and consumption causes one-third of emissions, the rest account for industrial activity, transportation services and deforestation. In order to curtail climate change, businesses ought to reduce their carbon emissions. One way to do that is to measure carbon footprints of each product that they manufacture. This can not only be done by businesses but also by people, in order for them to know how much they are contributing to carbon emissions by the use of climate inefficient products. Moreover, fossil fuels contribute to extremely large proportions of carbon emissions. Businesses generating revenue by extracting and selling coal, gas and oil need to abandon or reduce their activities and acknowledge the compromise on the revenue generation. A report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change puts forward the need to limit temperature 1.5 to 2 degree Celsius in order to achieve climate sustainability.  This requires the reduction in green-house gas emissions. Therefore, business activities ought to be in line with environmentally sustainable practices.  

     Countries have committed to tackle climate emergency through joint action plan of organizations. 2015’s Paris agreement on tackling climate change marks the time when developed countries such as UK, Norway, France and New Zealand legally committed to reduce reductions by net zero by 2030. Moreover, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is one of 13 federal government agencies to combat climate change through developing an understanding of the issue and building such infrastructure and health care system that would ultimately contribute to reduction in emissions. EPA is doing this by making government and policy makers aware of nation’s total emissions as well as the types and sources of these emissions. Furthermore, according to 2022 climate change performance index, China is leading the way by pledging to increase the use of solar and wind energy by 2030. Moreover, Sweden’s green climate fund, Finland’s enforcement of use of wood in infrastructure and textile businesses, France’s climate change bill to reduce plastic usage and other environment degradation practices, Portugal’s adoption of solar and wind resources for energy generation, Lithuania’s transportation electrification and reduction in fuel consumption, Netherlands’ bike and pedestrian friendly practices, Morocco’s adoption of renewable energy resources, Denmark’s aim to become carbon neutral by 2050, Luxembourg’s efforts to support and ease the use of electrical vehicles_ all of these 10 countries are leading the way to combat climate change by adopting effective policies.  

     At corporate level, the policies and effective measures to curtail the climate calamity ought to revolve around sustainable environmental practices and not on maximising profits. This jarring exhortation is due to several reasons. First is, profit-making enterprises and corporations with zero concern for carbon emission will ultimately have to achieve net zero emissions by abandoning all of their business practices, which is highly unlikely. Second, energy-efficiency solutions adopted by businesses would only reduce a fraction of carbon emissions, and fossil fuel producing firms are highly unlikely to give up all of their business practices to cope with the climate change. Another case that needs attention is deforestation, i.e. cutting of trees. This puts the environment at a risk because of unavailability of plants and trees for carbon storage, consequently increasing the carbon concentration in the environment. What this entails is, businesses can contribute to carbon emission reduction by taking climate actions such as: measuring carbon foot prints, inventing products for climate conservation and manufacturing products that facilitate green living. At an individual level, however, one can contribute to climate change mitigation by using public transport or bicycle. One litre of fuel emits 2.5 kilos of CO2 gas in the atmosphere. Therefore, curtailing that would result in fewer emissions. Other methods include the reuse of products and recycling of waste, use of fruits and vegetables in diet instead of meat, planting trees and curbing deforestation. 

     To wrap it all up, green, as a way forward, is sine qua non for countries and businesses. The more unsustainable practices a firm gets involved in, the more it contributes to carbon emissions, pollution, contaminated water, worsening air quality and inequality in society. Sustainable practices entail the use of renewable energy resources for business practices and not the exploitation of natural resources for profit gain. The profit gain due to exploitation puts in jeopardy the lives of millions of species and even humanity itself. On the other hand, adoption of sustainable practices such as low carbon economy is going to benefit everyone including the people at the lowest strata. Thus, it won’t be undeniable to posit that green is the only way forward for countries and businesses.   

 All views are personal. Jain is a Research Scholar, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. 

 

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