On Earth Day: World needs to halving CO2 emissions within decade

21 / 04 / 2022

By Marwa Nassar - -

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said – on the Earth Day – that the world needs to cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gasses by 50 percent within the decade.

“The climate crisis can be overwhelming to think about, but we need all hands on deck right now,” says Niklas Hagelberg, Coordinator of the UNEP program on Climate Change. “Through collective action, people really can reduce emissions substantively and build resilience to climate change.”

UNEP recently launched Act Now: Speak Up, a campaign that showcases how citizens can compel governments and businesses to up their climate game. Its goal is to spur the kind of systemic change that Hagelberg says will be crucial to limiting planetary warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, considered a red line for the Earth.

Act Now: Speak Up:

The UNEP explains five ways through which individuals can combat the climate crisis in line with Act Now: Speak Up campaign.

Approach your local government:

Addressing the climate crisis requires political will. Individuals can familiarize themselves with issues related to the climate crisis and where political candidates in their area stand.

Individuals should use their vote to support those committed to reducing emissions, and call on others to take climate action more seriously.

By writing letters, organizing meetings, arranging political debates and joining a political party, individuals can encourage leaders to commit to the goals of the Paris Agreement, increase the transparency around climate policies and devote resources to adapting to existing climate-related challenges. Also, call on them to shift subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy and energy efficiency, commit to ecosystem restoration projects, and use public funds to finance green technology and innovation.

Urge businesses to take action:

Businesses must promote sustainability – not only to safeguard the planet, but also to ensure their own long-term stability. Individuals can urge their employers and the leadership groups of other businesses to embrace the goals of the Paris Agreement and to join the Race to Zero, which outlines how businesses can become carbon neutral by 2050.

Individuals can ask their company to take the peat-free pledge and commit to No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) policies.

They can also call on corporate leaders to reduce their emissions in line with scientific evidence by emailing, writing open letters or through social media.

Ensure your investments make a positive impact:

Individuals can support sustainable development by choosing socially responsible financial institutions, such as those that are signatories to the UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). UNEP FI convenes alliances dedicated to net-zero targets in asset ownership, banking and insurance. The 400 investors, banks and insurers that are signatories all set strong standards for green investments.

If one’s financial institution is not a member, he can review its operating policies and commitments to ensure it promote net-zero operations. If it doesn’t, either urge it to join UNEP FI or switch to a member of UNEP FI to ensure his money supports green options. Additionally, individuals can reference the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment, which are voluntary measures to guide responsible investment for both organizations and individuals.

Volunteer in your community:

With environmental issues impacting an increasing number of people, there are more opportunities than ever to help one’s own community. Individuals can support public campaigns to raise awareness about the climate crisis by joining marches and signing petitions.

If one is able to get more hands-on, he can join efforts to restore damaged ecosystems and organize ecosystem restoration projects himself. These include restoring and rewilding ecosystems. Additionally, citizen science opportunities can help UNEP and environmental advocacy groups better coordinate action around the world.

Spread the word:

Individuals can talk to those around them – whether they are environmentally conscious or not – is a simple yet effective way to tackle the climate crisis.

The simplest way to take action can also be incredibly effective. Sharing their concerns and actions with people in your online and offline networks can encourage support and spur additional action.

This builds motivation and increases the likelihood of a cascading effect, whereby more and more people champion environmentally friendly behavior.

Faith groups and common-interest societies, such as those catered towards certain hobbies, can also be amplifying platforms, supporting climate action, adaptation and restoration.

International Mother Earth Day is celebrated around the world on 22 April. The 2022 theme ‘invest in nature’ highlights the urgent need to close the USD 4.1 trillion financing gap in nature by 2050 to meet the world’s climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation targets. UNEP’s Finance for Nature report calls for investments in nature-based solutions to triple by 2030 and increase four-fold by 2050.