As governments around the world grapple with the best way to achieve their targets under the Paris Agreement — to peak carbon emissions as soon as possible and to achieve carbon neutrality or net-zero emissions by 2050 — businesses and individuals are considering the most impactful way to hasten the transition from the bottom-up.
The battle against Covid-19 has been difficult. It has cost lives and livelihoods and stalled economies. Lockdowns have taken a toll on people’s mental and physical health and their family relationships. Amid the lockdowns and reduced economic and social activities, however, global carbon dioxide emissions fell more than 6% last year to their lowest rate since 2006, based on research from the Global Carbon Project.
While emissions have since returned to pre-Covid levels, last year’s slowdown provided a glimpse of the scale of action required. Projections by the United Nations Environment Programme show that we need a 7.6% reduction per year globally for 10 years to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. There is a growing urgency to change the way we live, work and play to mitigate the impact of our businesses and lifestyles on the environment.
