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Decarbonisation – Why Doing Nothing is Not an Option for SMEs Randall Edwards
Randall.Edwards@aspen-waite.co.uk
I’ve spent the last ten years helping businesses transition to a zero-carbon world. This experience has given me an invaluable insight into the challenges, risks and opportunities that climate change creates for businesses of all sizes across all sectors. In this article I’ve tried to summarise the who, why, what and when of climate change with particular focus on the SME sector.
What is climate change?
What are greenhouse gas emissions?
Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Rising global temperatures are bringing changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather. The effects are being felt in the UK and internationally. Climate change is caused by the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The key greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. Each gas has a different capacity to cause global warming. Carbon dioxide is expected to be responsible for about two thirds of the anticipated future warming.
What causes greenhouse gas emissions? Human activities release greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere – using electricity generated from fossil fuel power stations, burning gas for heating or driving a car. Within the UK it is estimated that business activities account for about half of all emissions.
What is being done globally about climate change? The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties, including the UK, US and China, in Paris on 12th December 2015 and entered into force on 4th November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century. The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.
