COP26

Normally I would use this blog to highlight changes on the RenSMART site, however today I would like to concentrate on a very interesting TED interview with Nigel Topping, the UK high level climate action champion man tasked with organising COP26 Glasgow.

A link to the interview is here and my thoughts and a brief synopsis of the subjects covered follow.

TED Interview with Nigel Topping: We Need to Green The Economy While Restarting It

At COP21 2015 Paris countries agreed on their targets. The EU agreed a target of Net Zero emissions by 2050

In 2018 the IPPC released a report giving stark warnings of what will happen if global temperature rises above pre-industrial levels by 1.5C and 2C

COP27 Glasgow was to be where countries would report on their progress towards their agreed targets. It will now be held from 1-12 November 2021. Also in 2021 the IPPC  will release multiple reports.

"we are talking about the total re-engineering of the global social and economic system"

Risk

Nigel suggests that post pandemic the world needs to better understand the science of risk. Here is a start: BBC How to understand risk

Transition

Jobs need to be transitioned from carbon intensive industries such as coal mining. Coal is a dying industry propped up by governments due to the number of people who would be unemployed if it were to abruptly stop. Few investors want to put money into an industry that is causing global warming due to pressure from share holders (and their children). One of the key challenges in greening the economy is how to accomplish this without causing pain to those who rely on the industries that are carbon intensive.

Some companies have published plans of how they intend to transition to being carbon neutral, but it will take them time as a whole list of actions need to be taken to arrive at that point. For instance Maersk, the huge shipping company, have pledged to be a net zero company by 2050 and have hind cast their ship procurement to show how this can be done.

Transition and change can be faster than we, or forecasters, expect. Where there is a will, there is a way. We have just been through a pandemic (lets hope we are through) that has shown the whole world can change very fast.

What can we do as individuals ?

• Halve our carbon footprint
• Reduce flights
• Change our diet - reduce our consumption of red meat
• Make your next car an electric car
• Ask your company or university what they are doing to transition to Net Zero
• Ask your pension company what their investment policy is
• Show our children what we are doing - talk to them about the decisions you are making 
• Invest in renewable energy. Maybe take a look at Abundance Investment
• Move to a green energy supplier
• Check out RenSMART economyGREEN

What is RenSMART doing ?

• Providing renewable energy estimates - RenSMART Quick Solar Project
• Providing short term renewable energy forecasts - economyGREEN Clock
• Developing green energy solutions
• Developing green consumer products