Discussions between the 60 heads of states attending were expected to include international commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, reduce subsidies for fossil fuels and to ban the building of new coal-fired power stations. Unfortunately, however, many countries only made incremental improvements on past commitments to carbon reduction whilst two of the biggest offenders in the United States and China made no new promises at all.
The WMO reports states some internationally concerning statistics supporting the notion that the planet has seen unprecedented levels of warming in recent years. The report suggests that since 1850 global temperatures have risen 1.1 degrees Celsius whilst 0.2C of that increase was seen between 2011 and 2015. The average rate of sea level rise in 1993 was 3.2mm per year whilst from May 2014 to 2019 the average rise has been recorded at 5mm per year. These statistics coupled with ever declining ice sheets in both Antarctica and Greenland suggest that Global warming and its effects are set not only to continue, but to accelerate if action is not taken urgently.
The report concludes that a key driver of climate change is ever growing carbon emissions, with 20% more CO2 being expelled into the atmosphere between 2015 and 2019, compared to the previous five-year period. Whilst the heads of nations debate commitments and policies on the international scale, it is clear that everyone has a responsibility on an individual level to be part of the solution.
Fortunately, there is a growing social movement of individuals taking on responsibility for reducing carbon emissions at home and there are companies such as us at isoenergy who can help those determined to improve their own environmental impact make a real difference. It may be true that no individual can make a difference to climate change, but if we all look after our own little corner of this world, those small steps amount to the social change we need with regards to the adoption of renewable energy.
Electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies can be utilised to reduce carbon emissions significantly on an individual scale especially with the falling carbon footprint of the electricity network. A ground source heat pump is capable of a reduction in carbon of around 70% against Oil and 60% against Mains gas, for heating. Solar PV can provide a carbon saving of around 65% against consuming electricity from the grid. (Based on 2019 DEFRA figures)
If you would like to discuss reducing your carbon emissions, please give one of our consultant engineers a call today on 01293 821 345.
