Science has proven that climate change is the result of human activity and the industrial revolution, which started with the steam engine and continued with mass production and digital technology. Hence, it’s widely agreed that a radical shift in human behaviour is needed to fight the threats against the environment and humanity due to climate change. How can you, expats, help?
In the US, the average annual carbon footprint for an individual is 16 tons, while for the rest of the world is 4 tons. To achieve the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement, everyone must drop their individual annual carbon footprint to 2 tons by 2050. Small everyday life changes may have a positive impact on climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that we are capable of adapting and changing for the common good. To this end, carbon emissions must top the policy lists of all leaders globally so that we can get on the track of saving the planet.
What is the Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It came into force in 2016, a year after it was introduced at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris. The Paris Agreement's goal is to limit global warming below 2 degrees Celsius because temperatures above this will expose 37% of the world's population to extreme heat waves, according to NASA Global Climate Change. To this end, nearly every country on earth has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
In addition to scientific instruments and technology utilisation, for the Paris Agreement's overambitious plan to materialise, socioeconomic transformation is also required. In fact, industrialised countries — and the world's largest carbon emitters — must support climate change resilience-building in less-developed nations, which are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
In 2020, nations submitted their climate schemes (aka Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs) with mandatory actions to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the negative impacts of rising temperatures. Under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), countries will report on their emissions, reduction efforts, adaptation measures, and given or received support in order to obtain feedback and participate in a collective review of the progress towards long-term goals, which will take place every five years.
The peculiar incident of the USA
In 2015, the USA entered the Paris Agreement under the presidency of Mr Barack Obama, who had envisioned, among others, a “safer and more secure” world. Fast forward two years, on June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his plan to withdraw the country from the treaty. Indeed, on November 4, 2020, the US was officially no longer a member of the agreement, and the US's environmental policies were taking a different (and somewhat hazardous) route. The good news is that the US will rejoin the Paris Agreement under the leadership of its new president, Mr. Joe Biden, who signed an executive order at the White House shortly after his January inauguration.
How countries perform
In theory, the Paris Agreement unites all nations under the umbrella of an ambitious fight against human-caused climate change. However, in reality, the picture of greenhouse gas emissions remains hazy. According to a conclusion published by the Universal Ecological Fund, an environmental non-profit seeking to increase awareness and encourage actions, countries' promises to reduce carbon emissions aren't adequate to stop global temperatures from rising and therefore posing irreversible environmental, social, and health destructions.
The Universal Ecological Fund's report predicts that by 2030, extreme weather events will be a genuine threat to health, biodiversity, and primary needs such as water, food, and basic income. China and India, the world's first and fourth biggest emitters, will produce even more carbon emissions by 2030, while the US, the second-biggest emitter, has made an insignificant commitment based on an inadequate GHG emissions' reduction programme. At the same time, Russia, the fifth-biggest emitter, hasn't presented a plan yet. On the other hand, the European Union, the third-biggest emitter, has committed to reducing emissions by 40% or more by 2030, and the continent seems to be on the right path to achieving its goal.
Which countries have not ratified the Paris Agreement
Seven countries have not yet ratified the Paris Agreement, and these are Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Eritrea, Libya, South Sudan, and war-torn Yemen. Iran, Libya, and Iraq are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec). Turkey is the only G20 and OECD member nation not to have formally validated the deal after Russia, which did so in October 2019. Turkey has the prospects and the right circumstances to cut emissions and rely more on renewable energies but is focused on continuous growth of coal-fired power plants to meet the increasing energy demands. Angola was the last country to sign the climate agreement in August 2020, after Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon.
What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint?
As individuals, we produce carbon emissions daily — some more than others, depending on our conscious or subconscious life choices and the country we live in. For instance, if you don't have a car and ride your bicycle or walk to places, you automatically save about two tonnes of CO2 per year. Public transportation and carpooling (out of peak hours) are the next most sustainable solutions unless you can purchase an electric car. But then you must take into account that tons of carbon dioxide are emitted during the production of the car's battery.
Suppose you are an expat who moves regularly and must rent different homes. In that case, it's unrealistic to invest in sustainable home supplies, such as energy star certified electrical products, LED lights, roof solar panels, and a solar boiler. However, some investments are worth considering (e.g., energy-efficient refrigerator and dishwasher) if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and take responsibility for climate change. Other smaller actions at home include reducing drafts, fixing leaks, and insulating walls to keep your place warm without exploiting the heating system.
When it comes to materials' consumption, think of the three Rs: reuse, reduce, recycle to decrease your contribution to climate change. Food is a rather complicated aspect. Eating locally has proven to reduce your CO2 emissions because you bypass the transportation part of the process. However, it is argued that emissions from transportation amount to a small number of the total emissions from food. Hence, the type of food you eat appears to be a more important factor than where your food is coming from. Animal-based foods (i.e., meat and dairy) have a much higher carbon footprint than plant-based foods. In fact, processes such as the application of fertilisers and the production of methane by cattle, in combination with deforestation of land for agricultural use, account for 80% of the footprint produced by food industries.
By definition, expats are travellers. Air travel is among the largest producers of carbon emissions. International travel amid the pandemic has dramatically decreased, giving us the opportunity to reflect on how we want to travel in a post-pandemic era. If video-conferencing isn't an option and you must fly, search for non-stop flights since landing and takeoff consume more fuel and produce more carbon dioxide. According to the World Bank, passengers in first and business classes have up to nine times higher carbon footprint because they are allowed more luggage and are sparsely distributed. Last but not least, you can offset the carbon emissions you produce during your flight by paying the appropriate amount to a project that reduces greenhouse gases. Many airlines offer the option to offset directly with them when you book your ticket.
If you want to read more on climate change and the Paris Agreement, and find out how your expat or home country performs, check out our sources.
