{"id":10470,"date":"2014-09-26T16:04:03","date_gmt":"2014-09-26T16:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/?p=10470"},"modified":"2014-09-30T08:57:42","modified_gmt":"2014-09-30T08:57:42","slug":"putting-climate-change-into-reverse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/2014\/09\/putting-climate-change-into-reverse\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting climate change into reverse"},"content":{"rendered":"

The dangers of climate change are well known. But scientists are now saying that cutting our emissions won\u2019t go far enough \u2013 we need to find a way to correct the damage that\u2019s already done<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Photo:<\/a>

Photo: stephenmeese \/ iStock<\/p><\/div>\n

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Scientists reckon the world needs to remain below a global temperature change of 2\u00b0C, compared to the pre-industrial climate, in order to avoid the dangerous effects of climate change. With global temperature threatening to overshoot the 2\u00b0C margin, experts on climate change have begun speaking out about alternative methods of bringing down global temperature and combatting the effects of excess CO2<\/sub>.<\/p>\n

Sir David King, the Foreign Secretary\u2019s special representative for climate change, believes the root cause of the issue is the rapid growth in the global middle class. The global population was six billion at the beginning of the 21st century and is currently on track to reach nine billion by the 22nd century. With a growing population comes a growing middle class of people who are, according to King, defined by consumption.<\/p>\n

In 2000 people defined as middle class \u2013 those living on between US$10 and $100 a day \u2013 made up approximately a billion people globally. By 2010 this figure had risen to two billion and is expected to have reached five billion by 2030. According to King, the 19th and 20th centuries were the centuries of waste, with commodities being routinely extracted from the earth and thrown away, while the 21st century brought with it the terrifying realisation that resources were in short supply.<\/p>\n

Calls are now being made for global efforts to escape the waste economy of the 20th century and move towards a more caring economic outlook, one defined by clean energy utilisation and respect for the environment. Otherwise, King says, we could be headed towards an irreversible change in the Earth\u2019s climate. \u201cThe fossil fuel society must become a thing of the past,\u201d King said, speaking at the Africa Together conference held in Cambridge in May.<\/p>\n

So how could a more caring economy help towards achieving climate change aims?<\/p>\n

Richard Templer is the UK director of Climate-KIC, Europe\u2019s largest public\u2013private innovation partnership focused on climate change. According to Templer, the utilisation of clean energy is paramount to achieving climate change aims. \u201cThis is an absolute requirement,\u201d he says. \u201cWe can do things with energy efficiency and attempt to lead behavioural changes, but without clean technology \u2013 and without renewables \u2013 we won\u2019t be able to achieve our targets.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of the most financially viable form of alternative energy, Templer points to three forms of renewable energy production \u2013 wind power, photovoltaics and solar heating.<\/p>\n

He refers to the work of Michael Liebreich, chairman of the Advisory Board of New Energy Finance, which suggests that, when all other subsidies are taken out of the equation, onshore wind power is cheaper than any other form of power generation. \u201cOnshore wind power is a no-brainer,\u201d Templer says. \u201cNotwithstanding protests with regards to the landscape and so on, if push came to shove, we could supply ourselves with electricity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Templer also suggests that photovoltaics will be cheaper than any fossil fuel within the next three years, with research currently being carried out to develop a new form made from plastic. David King claims that we are reaching a point of transition with photovoltaics, similar to that previously experienced with mobile phones, as the price of plastic has decreased substantially in recent years.<\/p>\n

Solar power is possibly the simplest form of renewable energy out there \u2013 after all, what could be easier than using the planet\u2019s main source of heat and energy to supply central heating and hot water? \u201cIt\u2019s really not expensive,\u201d Templer says, \u201cand it has the potential to provide people in the UK with up to 60 per cent of their hot water needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of energy supply, then, wind power and solar power are already available and reasonably cost-effective in their current state. Furthermore, research from Climate-KIC, which looks into data available from manufacturers, suppliers and end users, suggests that more advanced versions of these could become even more affordable. \u201cThese manufacturers are following standard innovation developmental curves,\u201d Templer says. \u201cThere is 15 years\u2019 worth of data available which suggests that all these methods are about to get cheaper than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, while clean energy may be cost-effective, the existence of these clean technologies is only one part of the solution: thought also needs to be given to how to persuade businesses and individuals to opt for cleaner methods of energy production. The solution to this issue, Templer argues, is simple \u2013 tax CO2<\/sub> emissions and let the market take care of business. \u201cIf you tax CO2<\/sub>, people will respond. Treat CO2<\/sub> emitted through factories and cars as a pollutant and charge tax on it. Then people will opt for methods of production which don\u2019t emit CO2<\/sub>.\u201d<\/p>\n

You may be thinking that if clean energy is cost-effective, and CO2<\/sub> can be taxed as a pollutant, what is the issue? Well, things are not quite that simple. Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have shown that technological innovation in climate change as it stands today can, at best, take our current emissions and reduce them to zero. Using only these technologies, the Earth will still overshoot the 2\u00b0C rise in temperature, an increase considered detrimental to the continued existence of current ecosystems by many scientists.<\/p>\n

Climate-KIC, together with other companies involved in the clean energy sector, has carried out research suggesting that companies that have opted to implement energy efficiency measures and introduced clean technologies into the production system have only tackled 50 per cent of the problem. This research suggests that there is still a need for additional development in the form of carbon negative technologies if there is any hope of keeping below the 2\u00b0C rise in temperature. \u201cWe need to be able to responsibly and carefully reduce the amount of CO2<\/sub> in the atmosphere, otherwise we are going to overshoot,\u201d Templer says. \u201cWe need to get on with that work now, because it is going to be non-trivial and if work doesn\u2019t start now it will be too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

One potential solution, and one that causes a lot of contention amongst climate change scientists and others involved in the sector, is geo-engineering, which has seen large-scale experiments designed to tackle the effects of climate change by either removing CO2<\/sub> from the air or limiting the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n

Templer is one of the voices averse to the ideas behind geo-engineering. \u201cI find these ideas quite alarming on a personal level,\u201d he says. \u201cGeo-engineering involves tinkering on a very large scale with an experiment that you can only do once.\u201d<\/p>\n

Methods of geo-engineering that have been researched in the past include utilising plankton in absorbing CO2<\/sub> from the air. Research suggests that \u2018fertilising\u2019 the ocean by spreading carbon onto the surface can lead to greater production of the plant cells and, by extension, greater absorption of CO2<\/sub> from the atmosphere. However, this could have potentially devastating repercussions \u2013 a vast increase in plankton in the oceans could starve marine life of the oxygen needed to survive, which could ultimately lead to the mass extinction of many creatures living in the oceans.<\/p>\n

Intergovernmental institutions have tended to look sceptically on geo-engineering \u2013 in 2008 the UN banned all large-scale climate change experiments. At the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP10) it was requested that \u201cno climate-related geo-engineering activities that may affect biodiversity take place until there is an adequate scientific basis on which to justify such activities\u201d. In 2012 guidelines on the deployment of geo-engineering were agreed at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Hyderabad, which reiterated the decisions taken at COP10.<\/p>\n

One respect in which geo-engineering could be the only solution is what Templer refers to as \u201cemergency care for the planet\u201d. For Templer, one of the most obvious signals that it is humankind causing climate change is the acidification of the oceans, as CO2 <\/sub>released into the atmosphere is slowly absorbed into the Earth\u2019s water supply. \u201cYou can measure it; it is incontrovertible and it is killing off all sorts of eco-systems,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Issues such as this could necessitate large-scale recovery projects in the form of, for example, seeding the ocean around coral reefs with lime to neutralise the PH of the water. \u201cWe may just have to take the risk of trying to repair the damage we have already done, but we will need to think about that as a society very carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n

While research into clean technology is ongoing and plentiful, it really is only part of the solution. Nigel Hughes from the smart meter company Itron suggests that the most important factor in achieving climate change aims is governance. \u201cTechnology alone isn\u2019t enough,\u201d he says. \u201cThere is a need for commitment from all parties \u2013 legislators, the industry and consumers \u2013 to work with the technology and make the required change in behaviours and attitudes.\u201d According to research carried out by Itron, 94 per cent of utility executives believe that current regulation, or lack of clarity around regulation, is a top barrier to investment in infrastructure.<\/p>\n

For Templer, it is important for society to work together at all levels in order to attain climate change objectives. \u201cAt the very highest level, I think the most important thing is to put a cost to carbon emitted by fossil fuels \u2013 price it, tax it and make it real,\u201d he says. \u201cAt the intermediate level, governments need to think about their patch of turf and how they treat it as a system, in order to make it operate efficiently in terms of legislation and inducement to encourage best behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps the hardest part of this is getting individuals to make informed decisions about energy consumption. Templer suggests that governments need to assess how to get individuals to fully engage in combating climate change at all levels, but first and foremost with regards to energy efficiency. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing how many people in the UK still don\u2019t have insulation in their lofts,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Certain measures have already been taken by national governments. Nigel Hughes points out the UK\u2019s recent mandate to roll out smart meters, devices that give households detailed information on their energy use and how to cut down on consumption, across the country. Such moves \u201cshould be applauded\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n

Further work has been done in the UK to reduce CO2<\/sub> emissions. The Climate Change Act 2008 introduced carbon budgets in an attempt to achieve 80 per cent CO2<\/sub> reduction by 2050. The first four carbon budgets, covering the period 2008-27, have now been implemented, requiring the UK to halve emissions relative to 1990 levels during this period.<\/p>\n

Similarly, many other developed countries are pushing ahead with national legislation to tackle climate change. However, as climate change has global repercussions, tackling it requires action by nations on a global level. The EU and the UN are two organisations working towards implementing international legislation with a focus to achieving this. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was created in 1992 to serve as a forum for international conversation on tackling climate change. As part of UNFCCC, industrialised countries are encouraged to commit to pledges such as the 1997 Kyoto protocol, which sets internationally binding emission reduction targets.<\/p>\n

The UN is also responsible for the founding of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which, born out of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, is dedicated to promoting global sustainable development. As part of the CBD, the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP) meet periodically to discuss potential advances to the Convention.<\/p>\n

The next meeting, COP21, is due to be held in Paris in 2015 and could bring with it a global consensus on climate change. The meeting will come as part of global negotiations on a post-2020 climate regime. By the end of the meeting it is hoped that all the nations of the world will be bound together for the first time by a universal agreement to tackle the effects of climate change.<\/p>\n

For David King, such an agreement is essential if a 2\u00b0C rise in temperature is to be avoided. \u201cSea level rises are currently at 26 cm,\u201d he says, \u201cand they are looking at reaching one metre by the end of the century unless an agreement is reached.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the situation may seem bleak \u2013 terrifying even \u2013 the realisation of universal consensus at COP21 could bring about the global change that is so desperately needed. We will just have to wait until 2015 to see the outcome.<\/p>\n

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Selling consumers the idea of eco-production<\/b><\/p>\n

Sustainable so-called eco-products are becoming more and more popular additions to the marketplace, as consumers increasingly choose to make informed decisions about the food they eat, the gadgets they use and the clothes they wear.<\/p>\n

The emergence of this new climate-savvy type of consumer has inevitably led to an increase in the presence of eco-producers in the marketplace. One company taking this approach, Rapanui Clothing, spoke to Global<\/i> about the benefits of its production method.<\/p>\n

Rapanui is an eco-fashion company based on the Isle of Wight in the UK. The company uses factories powered by wind and solar power to produce clothing made from eco-textiles, the result of which is clothing products made sustainably from sustainable materials.<\/p>\n

While studying for a degree in renewable energy, Rapanui co-founder Mart Drake-Knight says he noticed his new-found knowledge making an impact on his own consumption habits \u2013 a phenomenon which is well-documented across the globe, as informed shoppers have proven to be increasingly likely to opt for more sustainable produce.<\/p>\n

As a response to this, Rapanui, like other eco-producers, has opted to present its entire supply chain to the consumer, allowing shoppers to see exactly how products are handled all the way from seed to shop. The company has utilised Google Maps to create a supply chain traceability map for all its products, a link to which is available on their website. Rapanui has also adopted the EU Ecolabel rating for its products, which rates clothes from A to G in terms of how sustainable they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that people don\u2019t care about climate change,\u201d Drake-Knight says, \u201cit\u2019s more that they don\u2019t know about it, or don\u2019t know how to do anything about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big question about eco-production is the extent to which ethical sourcing dents profit margins. The short answer is that products made from sustainable resources, or in factories powered by renewable energy, are likely to be more expensive.<\/p>\n

But there are other benefits to these methods of production. Rapanui spends less on advertising than conventional competitors, as the company\u2019s unique story engages people\u2019s interests, leading to increased press coverage of the brand. \u201cThis means that we don\u2019t have to spend 20 per cent of our annual overheads on marketing,\u201d Drake-Knight says. \u201cI pay a little more for a t-shirt, but I pay a lot less for advertising.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The dangers of climate change are well known. But scientists are now saying that cutting our emissions won\u2019t go far enough \u2013 we need to find a way to correct the damage that\u2019s already done     Scientists reckon the world needs to remain below a global temperature change of 2\u00b0C, compared to the pre-industrial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1587,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[182,19,40],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1587"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10470"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10539,"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470\/revisions\/10539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.global-briefing.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}