Climate change is here, now. Until the world reaches Net Zero CO2 emissions, with deep reductions in other greenhouse gases, global temperatures will continue to rise. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to rise by 1.1% in 2025 – reaching a record high, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels is one way to reduce the influence of this catastrophe. When fossil fuels are burned, they release nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain. Airborne nitrogen pollution affects not only the quality of the air we breathe, but also the land and the water. Here are three ways to achieve net-zero:
Firstly, calculate your carbon footprint. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a carbon footprint is a change in climate attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the world’s atmosphere. Calculating your carbon footprint is important as it allows you to understand how you are contributing to climate change. Finding out what your carbon footprint is, therefore, allows you to identify ways to reduce it and have an impact on tackling climate change. Calculating your carbon footprint is easy. We recommend the WWF calculator, but there are many online calculator available, like the Carbon Footprint Calculator.
Secondly, reduce your emissions. On average, everyone in the world would need to have a ‘lifestyle carbon footprint’ of less than 2.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year by no later than 2030 – and reach intermediate levels before then and contribute to reduce afterwards – to give a relatively high chance of meeting the 1.5 degree Celsius temperature goal. Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change. A transition from fossil fuels to renewables is not only critical for climate change mitigation, but also could contribute towards universal, affordable and clean energy, reduce air pollution, and decreased dependence on international markets and foreign policies, improving the UK’s national energy security. Not only that, studies have shown that the environmental impact of different foods varies considerably. The production of animal-sourced foods, for example, tends to be more harmful to the environment than that of plant-based foods. For example, grazing animals requires a lot of land often created through deforestation. Therefore, take actions into your own hand by considering walking/cycling more, or reducing the amount of meat and dairy in your diet.
Lastly, invest in natural carbon removals. Planting trees removes from the atmosphere CO2 that would otherwise contribute to the greenhouse effect. Existing forests are carbon stores; protecting or restoring them can ensure that carbon remains locked away. Governments worldwide have committed to expand tree cover to remove greenhouse gases, with the UK committing to plant 30,000 hectares of trees each year until 2050. So consider planting trees at home, or even supporting local projects that deal with afforestation.
Getting towards net zero won’t happen overnight; but you can still do a lot in a short space of time and these steps should help you to plot a pathway and measure your progress as you go.