1. Climate Change Is Real
People concerned about the environment, nature enthusiasts, and those with a bit of common sense have always highlighted the negative impact of human actions on nature, life, and the environment. For instance, it doesn’t take a genius to understand that cutting down trees, killing animals, and polluting the air, land, and rivers are not good for nature’s life cycle and harm the intricate balance on which nature performs her functions. Myths, folk literature, and art since antiquity have drawn attention to this tense conflict between man and nature. Ancient civilizations even assigned deities and gods to protect nature’s resources, understanding that basic human productivity, like agriculture, depended completely on nature’s boons in the form of timely rain and rhythmic seasons.
However, it took humankind a very long time to arrive at a scientific, formal, and consensual understanding that human actions do indeed harm nature, the environment, and ultimately the whole planet. It all began in the 19th century when a few scientists like Joseph Fourier, John Tyndall, and Svante Arrhenius developed theoretical frameworks showing that the burning of fossil fuels and carbon emissions results in the formation of a blanket covering planet Earth, which traps heat from the sun and warms up the entire planet, thereby causing global warming.
Later, in the first half of the 20th century, these models were modified and upgraded, eventually culminating in scientific observation and analysis of planet-wide data that confirmed the fact that climate change is real. It is fueled by human actions such as deforestation, industrialization, and carbon emissions, leading to an abnormal increase in the planet’s surface temperature. The rest of the century allowed scientists, thinkers, policymakers, and the public to catch up to this realization, culminating in the gathering of abundant data—all pointing to the same fact: climate change is real. Thus, there is now a consensual understanding within the scientific community regarding climate change, and every day, ample evidence supports the phenomenon.
In fact, the 21st century has already begun to demonstrate the effects of climate change in terms of the hottest years on record, erratic weather patterns, and climate-related disasters such as flooding, wildfires, and heatwaves. Thus, the question of the hour is not whether climate change is real, but what should be done to stop it.
2. Climate Change Is Caused By GHG and CO₂ Emissions
The story of humanity began with human beings dwelling in caves, running away from wild animals, and living as hunter-gatherers to survive. Later, things began to change as the human mind, intellect, and genius furnished humanity with tools, technology, intelligence, and wisdom to predict the movement of nature and understand its rhythms. Thus, from hunter-gatherers, we evolved into agrarian societies dependent on farming and agriculture, and ultimately metamorphosed into an advanced civilization replete with modern infrastructure, cutting-edge technology, and an insane degree of development. Man was no longer dominated by nature but dominated her instead.
However, the fuel that powers the wheels of human industries is fossil fuels, and every time we burn them, they emit carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other gases such as nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄). These gases flow into the atmosphere and remain there for a long time without dissolving. Eventually, due to their chemical composition, they trap heat from sunlight, incrementing the global temperature of the planet. This phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect, and these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases (GHGs).
The equation is simple: As our societies grew and developed more, they released increasing amounts of GHGs into the atmosphere, which accumulated and have now formed a thick blanket trapping heat and preventing the natural cooling of the planet. In the 200,000 years of human existence, and especially over the last two centuries of industrial development, we have already released abundant greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As we continue to progress economically, infrastructurally, and materially, we release even more gases.
Learn: How The Industrial Revolution Contributed To Destruction Of Environment
The emission of carbon dioxide and other GHGs such as nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) is the primary factor behind global warming and climate change. If humanity is to mitigate the phenomenon, then the first two steps would be to remove these gases from the atmosphere and prevent the release of more, so that the planet may cool down on its own and allow life to adapt to changes naturally.
3. What is the Deal with 1.5 Degrees Celsius?
One of the most common numbers associated with climate change is 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2 degrees Celsius. This figure arises from the conclusion of a varying set of thoughts, all culminating in a scientific, political, and ethical understanding of the problem of climate change.
Scientific observations, analyses, and models have revealed carbon emissions and greenhouse gases to be the chief agents behind global warming and climate change. These gases trap heat from the sun, resulting in the increase of Earth’s temperature. Thus, the overall surface temperature of the planet rises due to global warming, triggering a large chain of events such as the melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, hotter summers, and erratic weather patterns. Scientific models have also shown that the surface temperature of the world has increased significantly since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries, which marked the beginning of large-scale carbon emissions.
Thus, the figure of 1.5°C is referenced in relation to the pre-industrial period when Earth was relatively cooler. By taking the pre-industrial period as the baseline, global communities have come to the agreement that an increase of more than 1.5°C in Earth’s temperature could bring catastrophic results, starting with the loss of coral reefs and putting islands at risk.
The facts and numbers are based on reports generated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body whose primary function is to assess the science related to climate change and aid policymakers by providing accurate data, impacts, risks, and possible strategies for mitigation and adaptation. Initially, the temperature threshold was decided to be 2 degrees Celsius; however, after further analysis and the development of advanced scientific models, it was revealed that an increase of 2 degrees Celsius by 2100 could trigger major catastrophic events such as heatwaves, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem disruptions.
Thus, the threshold was brought down to 1.5 degrees Celsius and adopted in the 2015 Paris Agreement, where participating nations agreed to draft policies to meet the target.
However, with the current policies in effect, the world is presently heading towards a 2.9-3 degrees Celsius increase by 2100, and 2024 proved to be the hottest year on record.
4. COP’21 – Paris Agreement 2015
Scientific evidence and concerns related to environmental disasters began to mount as far back as the 1970s. Industrial accidents such as oil spills and river-wide fires sparked protests and concerns from students, citizens, and policymakers to take urgent action to protect the environment. Accordingly, the first official gathering occurred in Stockholm in 1972, known as the Stockholm Conference, which resulted in the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Almost 45 years later, following various other summits, conferences, and declarations, most of the nations of the world united in Paris at the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to assess the science related to climate change and set goals for the future. This marked an important milestone for humanity, as the global community established major objectives such as achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and setting the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold, among others.
5. What Is Net-Zero?
Net-zero is the state where the amount of carbon and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted into the atmosphere is canceled (or balanced) by the amount of these gases removed over a specific period. This results in a net-zero emission balance, meaning that despite releasing GHGs, no additional accumulation occurs in the environment.
Net-zero is an important global commitment to mitigate climate change and limit global warming to 2 degrees or, preferably, 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The key strategies to achieve net-zero rely on the deployment of renewable energy sources (such as solar, hydro, wind, and geothermal) instead of traditional fossil fuels in various sectors like energy, transportation, and agriculture. It also involves technological solutions like carbon capture and storage (CCS), which can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help cleanse it.
Achieving net-zero by 2050 is a critical target for the entire world, guiding political, technological, financial, and environmental efforts.
6. What Is UNFCCC & Conferences of the Parties (COP Meetings)?
Most world leaders and representatives from more than 150 countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, with the objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations globally. The UNFCCC is an international treaty that provides a framework for global cooperation to tackle climate change. It currently has 198 Parties, including almost all countries and the European Union, collectively referred to as “Parties.”
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of the UNFCCC and the primary decision-making authority responsible for advancing climate negotiations and overseeing the implementation of the UNFCCC and its agreements. It is a formal meeting of the Parties, held annually, with each session hosted by a different country.
The first COP meeting, known as COP1, took place in Berlin in 1995 and resulted in the Berlin Mandate, which called for stronger commitments from developed countries. Since then, these meetings have occurred annually, with significant milestones achieved at COP3 (Kyoto, 1997), which resulted in the Kyoto Protocol, and COP21 (Paris, 2015), which led to the landmark Paris Agreement.
7. Key Strategies to Solve Climate Change
The mounting pile of evidence about the reality of climate change has eliminated the debate regarding whether climate change is real or not. The important question to ask now is—what can be done to solve it?
Three key strategies have been adopted worldwide in response to climate change: Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience.
Climate Mitigation rests on the principle that the forthcoming disaster can be averted if appropriate measures are taken in due time. Thus, climate mitigation focuses on preventing adverse climate disasters by tackling the root cause of the problem—carbon emissions and greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. It aims to achieve this by removing excess carbon from the atmosphere, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and establishing net-zero emissions by 2050.
Climate Adaptation comes into play when the effects of climate change have already begun to manifest in the environment and living spaces. It seeks to reduce the vulnerability of ecosystems, people, infrastructure, and species exposed to the impacts of climate change by taking proactive measures. This includes constructing flood-resistant buildings, developing drought-resistant crops, implementing early warning systems for extreme weather events, and introducing technologies and policies to help societies adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
Climate Resilience as a strategy becomes crucial when an area is severely affected by irreversible changes in climate, weather patterns, and living environments, forcing ecosystems, communities, and life to become resilient to the changes. It involves building the ability to prepare for, endure, and recover from the consequences brought by climate change, ensuring long-term survival and functionality.
8. What is Sustainability and Sustainable Development?
The concept of sustainability stems from the idea that resources are finite and perish after consumption; therefore, they must be used consciously and wisely to prevent their exhaustion. It means that human beings must utilize the natural resources of planet Earth with a long-term perspective, ensuring that ample amounts remain for future generations and life to come.
Accordingly, the idea of sustainable development is based on the same principle—that the natural resources of the planet (including human labor) cannot be exhausted in the name of development. Progress must be achieved by balancing their excessive consumption.
The concept of sustainable development arises from the recognition of the challenge that development must not be halted in the name of environmental protection, and vice versa. Since many people on planet Earth lack basic human rights such as equality, access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, human progress and development cannot be frozen in the name of environmental conservation. However, the environment cannot be destroyed either in the pursuit of development. Thus, the effort to balance the two leads to the approach of establishing sustainable development.
Sustainable development is widely recognized across the world, and the United Nations has declared 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at guiding humanity toward a brighter future.
Sustainability and sustainable development can be practiced on both global and individual levels and form the framework for industry-wide and personal practices. These include concepts such as the circular economy, corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, and simple individual actions to reduce carbon emissions—such as walking instead of using petrol-based vehicles for short-distance travel.
9. Role of Technology in Solving Climate Change
Technology plays a crucial—and perhaps the most important—role in tackling climate change. The industries, machines, and technologies developed during the Industrial Revolution did not account for environmental pollution, as they were not engineered or designed to address basic challenges such as low carbon emissions, carbon removal, and energy efficiency. As a result, their widespread use and production led to large-scale emissions and harmful everyday practices. For instance, the toppling of the electric vehicle (EV) industry at the beginning of the 20th century paved the way for the production and consumption of gasoline-based vehicles on a global scale, contributing significantly to emissions.
However, modern climate-friendly technology, which supports the use of renewable energy, carbon capture, and energy efficiency, can greatly mitigate climate change by ushering in a technological revolution and inducing a paradigm shift. These advancements can not only remove carbon from the atmosphere but also generate wealth-creating opportunities for inventors and innovators who are shaping the first chapters of the climate-friendly technological era.
These climate technologies—such as EVs, carbon capture and storage (CCS) units, and IoT solutions for agriculture—have already begun to penetrate large-scale everyday use.
10. Urgent Need for Climate Investments & Global Commitment to Solve Climate Change
In the long story of human development and evolution, a new chapter often begins with an environmental, political, cultural, or technological revolution. The contemporary crisis of climate change also sets the stage for such a worldwide revolution, but it cannot occur without global cooperation, commitments, and large-scale investments and funding required to support the change.
For a problem as vast and all-encompassing as climate change—which affects everyone on the planet—human beings must rise above all petty differences and conflicts to ensure the survival of our species and all other living beings on Earth. When the environment that supports and nurtures us is itself threatened, the privilege to engage in nuanced projects of difference cannot be sustained, and all human efforts must unite to avert the crisis.
Accordingly, the looming threat of climate change demands urgent attention, awareness, and participation from individuals, communities, nations, and global bodies. Tackling this issue presents an opportunity to develop a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful planet that serves as a home for all.
Conclusion
Climate change is a vast, global, and interdisciplinary topic. It is perhaps the only phenomenon that demands urgent attention from all realms of human knowledge and action, including science, politics, finance, humanities, and more. It is a transboundary, planet-wide event that is unfolding in the present moment and will be shaped by the actions that people take to mitigate or deteriorate it. The scope and scale of climate change are so large that no one can claim complete knowledge on the topic. However, people are working diligently to observe, understand, and address it so that the future remains a hospitable and productive dimension for human existence and life.
On a positive note, climate change is also opening avenues for the harmonization of global bodies, nations, organizations, and communities, allowing people to come together and tackle the problem on a collective level. It is a challenge standing at the intersection of humanity, life, nature, and the rest of the world, with the potential to balance everything and ensure a smoother manifestation of life. How the future unfolds will depend on how we, as intelligent and aware human beings, shape the present and alter our ways to create a rich, healthy, clean, and natural world—a home not just for human beings, but for all forms of life on Earth, including Earth itself.
