A lot of good work is being done to tackle one of the largest and most complex issues facing the world today. Governments around the world are increasing their decarbonisation commitments, funding for climate tech is pouring in, businesses are rushing to make net-zero pledges and issues related to the sustainability reporting are slowly being ironed out. That said, we know the actions underway or planned as of today are still not enough.
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calculations of the gap between the speed of decarbonisation and the rise in temperatures remain alarmingly far apart.
Catastrophic climate events are happening with great frequency and are expected to rise sharply. The threat to energy, social and food security as a result of the war in Ukraine has also created new challenges to finding solutions to the climate emergency.
What is clear, though, is that we cannot allow the short-term uncertainty of recent years, the spectre of rising inflation and a potential global recession to stall efforts to meet the longer-term challenge of climate change. Businesses must forge ahead, and governments must continue to support them by aligning and clarifying policy and regulations with net-zero goals.
Three elements at the core of climate action are needed to accelerate a global effort and lay the groundwork for an inclusive energy transition:
Though some of the solutions for saving the planet from catastrophic climate change might rightly be called rocket science, many of the actions that need to be taken are not. The early adopters have shown that it is possible to reduce emissions through new ways of working; and those just starting out can follow in their footsteps. Even as new crises demand global attention, working on climate change solutions must be accelerated: the risks of doing nothing far outweigh the risks of acting.
