World's Carbon Emissions Grew In 2019 To Their Highest Levels Ever

Rising carbon emissions for continuous three years seem to be putting off countries further away from their goal of halting global warming. What seems to be a 0.6 percent increase from last year’s world record might appear to be a glimmer of hope for some but; researchers claim that we’re nowhere near success if we wish to dodge severe climate changes in the future. By the end of 2019, carbon emissions from industrial work and the burning of coal are assumed to have released approximately 36.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the global emissions from the summary of human activities will likely add up to an estimate of 43.1 billion tons. To provide insight into what comprises of the global greenhouse gas emissions, we’ve gathered some data on these gases emitted into the atmosphere by human activities.

• Carbon dioxide:

The use of fossil fuel is the main source of CO2 emission in the air. Other causes also include deforestation, clearing of land area for agriculture, and degradation of soils.

• Methane:

Energy consumption, agricultural use, waste management, and burning of biomass all result in the emission of CH4 into the atmosphere.

• Nitrous oxide:

N2O emissions are caused by the excess use of fertilizers and the combustion of fossil fuels. rnIn comparison to the large emission figures in the early 2000s, which were a notable three percent increase each year, 2019’s 0.6 percent increase is small. However, the 2019 emissions trend isn’t something to consider a victory as it demonstrates that these emission numbers aren’t falling or meeting the goals of the Paris agreement.

What Is The Paris Climate Agreement?

rnIn December 2015, in Paris, the Paris Agreement climate pact was approved which represented a momentous step for mankind, in re-imagining a fossil fuel-free future. Much to everyone’s surprise; nearly 200 countries across the globe — some being major oil-exporting nations — showed agreement to keep the global temperature rise above 2 degrees Celsius and decided to pursue efforts to confine the increase to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. As a final point, the agreement entails these countries to return every five years with renewed carbon emission reduction goals. On Tuesday, 3rd December 2019, representatives from 200 countries convened in Madrid for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to discuss how they can approach this pressuring matter and alter the current trajectory. According to an emissions gap report by the U.N. Environment Program, it was highlighted how far-off target the world continues to remain in its aim to control the earth’s heating up. The report presents the current data on the expected gap in 2030 for the 1.5 degree Celsius and 2-degree Celsius temperature targets of the historic Paris climate agreement. Though, it concludes that given the nations’ current inadequate deeds to cut down emissions remains, then Earth will have warmed up by a massive 3.2 degrees Celsius above pre-Industrial Revolution temperatures by the end of the century. Moreover, it highlights that global emissions must reduce by almost 8 percent per year over the next decade. This means that in the following years, if any nations still release carbon emissions into the atmosphere, then it must be artificially removed, and probably stored deep beneath the ground.

Natural Gas In The Spotlight

On the other hand, due to the decline in usage of coal, the U.S. reduced its carbon emission by 1.7 percent. The reason behind this drop was the consumption of natural gases and while it is a less carbon-intensive alternative than coal and oil, it’s still a major driver of global CO2 emission since 2012 in other nations. Researchers are hoping to get a movement on oil and natural gas consumption, and believe that it could serve as a bridge to clean energy. Additionally, it could lead to a transition to zero-carbon renewables like wind and solar, but that requires them to switch fossil fuels as a source of energy. In the meantime, China and India remain to be responsible for major carbon emissions and still need to show promising efforts to get back on track. As the levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases increase, more heat gets trapped in the earth’s atmosphere causing a rise in global temperature and the melting of arctic polar caps. The result would be a rise in sea levels, flooding, shortage of food and water, and other climatic changes that could make life for living organisms a problem. So, what can our industries do to help our planet? To point you in the right direction, we’ve shortlisted the top ways the industry sector can reduce co2 emissions.

1. Measuring Carbon Footprint:

Organizations can analyze the amount of pollution they generate through their activities by taking a Greenhouse Gas emission assessment. Once the size of the carbon footprint is declared, companies can actively work towards proposing a plan to reduce the number. This can be through improved product management, overall consumption, waste management etc. Work environments are bound to accumulate a lot of waste, therefore employees must be informed about proper waste management and how it impacts our planet. In addition, they also improve the appearance of your office culture and promote a healthier environment. Those individuals looking to give a thorough clean up to their building can do a simple Google search for green carpet cleaning London. to find some reputable service providers. You will find yourself feeling lighter once you’ve realized that you’re doing your part to protect the planet and maintain a healthy office culture.

2. Rewarding Green Commutes:

One method that has a tremendous impact on CO2 emission is encouraging employees to substitute driving with public transport or carpooling to get to and from work to save energy and reduce the release of harmful gases into the air. Employers can reward such employees with commuter benefits like parking space, which increases the rate of employees getting to work on time and reduces their encounter with traffic.

Final Thoughts

Climate scientists are worried that we’ve dug ourselves a deep hole and if we don’t clean up our acts and show signs of transformation, then we’re steering towards more than just climatic disasters. Carbon capture, electrical vehicles, and storage technology are some of the solutions that could be our saving grace but require expansive focus to reach audiences on a global scale.