The United Nations’ IPCC report brings together findings on climate change from all over the world and makes grim reading.
“Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion – such as continued sea level rise – are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.”
The report confirms the changes are due to human influence, that our planet is now 1.2 degrees warmer than in the late 1800s, and that carbon dioxide is the main driver of climate change, even though greenhouse gases (such as methane) and air pollutants also affect the climate. The world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement target of holding the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees.
So what’s new?
The range of expected results has contracted for the first time, due to the increased availability of data. We have greater certainty over what is happening and how fast, and the mechanisms through which we will be affected.
We also have confirmation that we still have a window in which to hold the global warming level to 1.5 degrees Celsius, but it is closing rapidly. Waiting until 2050 to become carbon neutral will not be enough.
To keep this window open we need to focus on reducing our emissions – by 7.6% per year to 2030 to stop the temperature rise from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius or by 2.7% per year to stay below 2 degrees Celsius.
The good news.
The good news is that significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are quite achievable for most organisations. Are you optimising your lighting, heating and cooling, for example? If you don’t know, you are likely to be paying too much for energy as well as contributing to climate change. If you want to save money as well as joining the fight against climate change, Evalue8 Sustainability’s software can help you do both.
Our carbon accounting software links to accounting software to minimise your data entry effort and to enable your greenhouse gas emissions reporting to be as up-to-date as your information sources. It also helps you document the calculations, which is important if you want to be certified as carbon neutral and need to be audited to gain certification. You can use our software to track your emissions monthly, quarterly, or annually, and over time, and to generate reports on your emissions.
We also identify potential areas for energy savings, to help you save money while reducing your carbon footprint.
Try our software today. Contact us today.