Article: A beginner’s guide to climate change

by Hemali Bhashyam

Manager, Global Internal Sustainability, Deloitte

It’s common for us to keep hearing about climate change in the news. Most of us have a vague understanding of what is happening to the state of our planet as it occupies little space in our minds on most days. Yet, climate change is taking place rapidly, decidedly, and possibly devastatingly. While the impacts of climate change will be felt widely, there is still hope and much we can do, individually and collectively as a community, to help mitigate its impact. The next series of articles will provide insights into actions you can take. This month’s article and workshop will walk you through the basics of climate change and terminology so you have a solid understanding of what is at stake.

Climate change is when the long-term average weather conditions shift, during a specific time of year and in a specific location. It is caused by the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Nearly 100% of scientists agree that climate change is principally the result of human activity from fossil fuel use. The most common greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons. Greenhouse gases are naturally eliminated by our planet’s trees, soil, and oceans. When the production rate of greenhouse gases is greater than the elimination rate, it results in the ‘greenhouse gas effect,’ which contributes to climate change or global warming.

For many decades, scientists have been warning the world about the climate emergency. Finally, in 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed by 154 nations to keep global temperatures ‘well below’ 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial levels. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but in a 2 degrees Celsius world, we will experience much more severe weather impacts than ever before. We’re expected to see extreme hot days that are 7 degrees Fahrenheit (3.9 degrees Celsius) hotter than average, an increase in sea levels by 2 to 3 ft by the year 2100, huge biodiversity loss, melting Arctic sea ice, coral reef decline by 99% (yes, you read that right), rising poverty, worldwide food shortages, and much more. In order to limit warming below 2 degrees Celsius, nations must achieve an overall equilibrium between greenhouse gas production and elimination through natural or technological means.

What we do in the next few years will determine the future of humanity. The planet will survive and bounce back, but humanity will struggle in a 2 degrees Celsius world. We can already see the effects of the climate crisis and we know what actions we need to take to mitigate it. While individual action may seem small, collectively, there is much we can do. In every aspect of our lives, it’s important to think about what we can do for our planet whether that’s at home, at work, when purchasing, while traveling, or when voting. Collectively, we make billions of choices in our lives. Let’s align these choices towards a more sustainable world for all.

References:

1. 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius of additional global warming: Does it make a difference? » Yale Climate Connections
2. IPCC report: ‘Code red’ for human driven global heating, warns UN chief | | UN News

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