Global warming has been a long-studied and much-debated environmental problem that increasingly becomes an urgent global challenge. Recent studies have found that unless there is a transforming shift in our energy system and lifestyle choices, the planet is on a precipice that could lead to 1.5℃ of global warming by the end of the century. Knowing this, it is important to ask the question of how much time we have to stop global warming.
Science has enabled us to better understand the acceleration of global warming, and what it may result in. If left unchecked, global mean temperature can rise to a point where extreme weather events become more frequent, agricultural crops suffer from droughts and floods, certain ecosystems will be destroyed, and the sea level may rise to threatening levels, leading to displacement of coastal populations. Having this danger looming, scientists agree that there is no more time to waste, and immediate action is needed in order to avoid the worst of the effects.
While there is still the possibility to intervene and protect our ecosystems, drastic and immediate action is the only way to make this possible. International organizations, such as the United Nations, have put out reports detailing the timeline in which we must act to avoid some of the consequences of global warming. Thanks to research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it has been suggested that if we are to contain global warming and ground it to 1.5℃ (as outlined in the Paris Agreement), then by the year 2030 emissions must start to decline. Additionally, according to a report published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), it is estimated that if we are to achieve zero emissions by the year 2050, then 25% of current emissions must be reduced by 2030.
Nonetheless, achieving these goals is no easy feat. According to a study conducted by Stanford, Cornell and Columbia universities, in order to reduce global warming, we must implement an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and replace them with clean energy sources before 2040. This means that in order to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change, our societies must change how they produce and consume energy, drastically reduce energy waste, and adopt more energy efficient transportation methods. Such a global transformation would be one of the most comprehensive ever undertaken — and would require every sector of society, every region of the world, and each and every person to make significant lifestyle changes.
Fortunately, technological advances are supported by powerful policy measures and underpinned by strong public involvement, carrying the potential to both reduce emissions and maximize potential gains from global warming mitigation. For instance, Norway’s carbon tax, the implementation of regional renewable energy targets in Germany and Latvia, the UK’s decision to phase out coal power by 2025, and the introduction of a renewable energy feed-in tariff by China are all positive steps in the right direction that take us closer to a more sustainable future. However, leading environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, WWF, and the Sierra Club, assert that in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change, governments must go even further by introducing ambitious policies such as carbon taxes, renewable energy targets, and investing in clean energy sources.
Gaining insight into the amount of time we have allows us to comprehend the magnitude of action we must take to prevent global warming’s devastating effects. As we are fast approaching the tipping point, the necessity to act is looming. Fighting global warming will require an urgent and ambitious shift — one which can only be achieved through public support, effective policy measures, and targeted investment in clean energy sources. Although the task may seem daunting, it is definitively achievable when enough of us unite in the call for action. Reducing our global emissions to zero by the year 2030 is no longer a matter of if but when.