Climate change has been brought to the forefront with the commencement of the COP26 Summit on the 31st October. We’ve all been seeing a lot about it across news and social media from car-free areas in cities, to Greta Thunberg’s big storm out. The conference is everywhere we look and because of that, more people are being educated on the issue. So, we thought we’d break it down into an easier-to-digest format; as opposed to the technical jargon we’ve all been bombarded with.
In essence, COP26 is the 26th Conference of Parties, climate change summit. It took place over the last couple of weeks in Glasgow. All the world leaders and their delegations gathered in the Scottish city to tackle global-warming and its after effects. The Conference of Parties (COP) came into force in 1994 and was organized under the UN Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) and has an astonishing 197 countries participating. Apart from World leaders, thousands of Government representatives, several business houses & concerned citizens took part. They discussed the latest climate science under the guidance of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). COP26 is aimed to convince World leaders & their representatives to take important steps in decreasing emissions considerably by 2030 & possibly to zero level by the middle of this century - no small feat!
Furthermore, COP26 also pushed the developed countries to mobilise funds into shifting to green energy & adapting to environment-friendly commodities. This is the result of the breakthrough achieved in COP21 on 12th December 2015 in Paris, now termed as the Paris Agreement. Under the Paris Agreement, several articles were discussed on reducing emissions to finally agree to keep global warming in this century under 2-degree centigrade.
Another big issue on the agenda was aiming to drastically reduce carbon emissions. COP26 pledged to reduce methane gas emission in the atmosphere as well as CO2, as it does even more damage than carbon dioxide. Many countries have already joined the Global Methane Pledge in reducing methane emission by 30% by 2030. UNEP’s Emission Gap Report 2021 shows that this goal is achievable in the oil and gas industry along with other sectors at no extra cost. The report further highlighted the current greenhouse emissions of each developed country and the steps needed to be taken in reaching the reduced emission target of the Paris Agreement. World leaders and their countries made many pledges to help fight climate change and reduce emissions. But how can we, as individuals, help? As residents of our, one-in-a-million, planet we each have a responsibility to do what we can to help. The problem is knowing HOW we can make a difference. Here are some things you can do today to help:
Share your stories. Climate change has affected people all over the world. The COP26 summit has brought the issue to the forefront of everyone’s minds, but now it’s our responsibility to keep it there. Share stories of ways you’re helping or how you or anyone you know has been affected. Every story keeps the wave of change moving.
Educate yourselves and others around you. You’ve already taken the first step by reading this article, but we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Stay curious, keep reading and watching and listening. Learn everything you can and then talk about it. Educate your family and friends and watch as you make a difference with more and more people.
Buy sustainable products. Nowadays, many people prefer to buy sustainable
products such as items made out of recyclable plastics, organic products, etc. All kinds of eco-friendly products are readily available for everyone; including footwear & fashion. There are hundreds of organisations committed to creating sustainable products for consumers. We are one of those companies. We strive to create fashion without harming Mother Earth. All of our products are sustainably sourced and responsibly manufactured. We also have a carbon neutral delivery system by offsetting any carbon produced. If you don’t want to buy new clothes, try making something new out of what you have or buying second hand. There are options for every budget and background.
Eat green. Try to switch to organic foods or products where possible. This can help reduce the use of toxic products in pesticides. Eat less meat and be cautious about your food. If possible, buy fresh products from farm shops or local markets, which uses natural fertilisers and no pesticides.
Address climate change by yourself. You don’t have to wait for the local authorities to take action against climate change. You can do it yourself by taking strides in cleaning up local parks, to saying no to plastic, or even buying only eco-friendly products whenever possible. Plant more trees, switch to green energy, any little thing you can do will make a big difference.
Education is the key to healing the planet; learning as much as we can, teaching as much as we can and doing as much as we can together. We hope you found this helpful and we’re here to help you on your journey to living more sustainably. If this article has made you feel inspired, sign up for our email list and get updates from us.
