The future is in our hands. The actions we take today will determine the world we live in for centuries to come. Awareness and commitment to action have never been higher, and real progress is being made. The UN’s latest Emissions Gap report highlights that 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions are now covered by net zero pledges. Further, between 2015, when the Paris Agreement was signed, and today, the projected rise in greenhouse gas emissions has fallen from 16% to 3%. Technologies to transform power, transport, and heating are being deployed at scale, and significant work is underway to develop solutions for hard-to-abate industries such as aviation, steel, and cement.
However, time is not on our side. Emissions are still rising instead of falling. There are only six years left to halve emissions by 2030 and keep below 1.5oC of warming compared to preindustrial levels, which scientists underline is vital. Currently, we are on a path towards a 3oC world. In a year when temperature records have been shattered and lives devastated by climate-related disasters, it is clear that we need to act to avoid the worst impacts of a heating planet. Nature continues to be depleted and biodiversity – upon which businesses and society depend – is declining quickly.
