We have been warned by leading scientists around the globe that within 12 years, global warming must be kept at a maximum of 1.5 degrees or we will face dire consequences.
Beyond this 1.5 degree threshold, there will be significant worsening of drought, flood and extreme heat, which will impact on many people around the globe.
Urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to ensure this target is reached, or moreover kept under this threshold, which will put pressure on The Paris Agreement. This is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Aims of The Paris Agreement:
.
- Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.
. - Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production.
. - Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
Restricting Warming to 1.5C – What would the difference make?
.
Scientists found that restricting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels would have the following positive impact on the planet:
.
- By 2100 sea levels around the globe will be 10cm lower – 1.5C vs 2C temperature increase.
. - 14% of the global population will experience extreme heatwaves (1.5C increase) vs 33% of the global population experiencing such, if the temperatures rise to 2C.
. - Ice in the artic would remain for most summers (1.5C increase) vs ice free summers being 10 times more likely if temperatures would rise to 2C. This would mean significant habitat losses for polar bears, whales and various sea birds.
. - Coral reefs will continue to decline by 70-90% (1.5C) vs almost all the globes reefs would be lost if temperatures rise to 2C.
The world is currently 1C above pre-industrial levels – we still have time…just
We still have time to take action to reduce global warming, but we are very close to the brink.
We all need to be taking a stance for positive change, whether that is using your car less, looking at more sustainable ways to heat your home, flying less, having smaller families….we can all do our bit.
As a company we have invested significant time and resources in creating stoves, that are Ecodesign ready.
Ecodesign ready means you need to burn less wood, much more efficiently for the same output, which is good for the environment and a positive step towards helping reduce the devastating impact of global warming.
