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Climate change and environment
ON SOURCE: NACIONES UNIDAS
Five measures to reduce damage to the environment
For years, scientists have warned of the damage being done to the environment, but no significant action has been taken. While climate change worsens, fossil fuel consumption continues to break records. Furthermore, household waste is expected to double by 2050. The UN University has five proposals to mitigate the threats.
Faced with rising inequalities and intensifying crises such as climate change , biodiversity loss, and pollution, the report Interconnected Disaster Risks 2025: A New Page, published Wednesday by the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), presents an approach to reducing risks.
“For years, scientists have warned us about the damage we are causing to our planet and how to stop it. But we are not taking meaningful action,” says Professor Shen Xiaomeng.
“We know that climate change is worsening, but fossil fuel consumption continues to break records . We already have a waste crisis, but household waste is projected to double by 2050,” Xiaomeng explains.
2 billion tons of household waste are produced annually.
Making way for a circular economy
The report identifies five key areas in society where changes are needed to reduce risks and explains how these can be achieved.
The first of these is rethinking the concept of waste , supporting a model that moves toward a circular economy and prioritizes durability, repair, and reuse. For example, producing recycled aluminum requires 95% less energy than primary production.
One million species in danger of extinction
Another change is realigning with nature by seeking positive changes . For example, the report indicates that in Europe, 25,000 kilometers of rivers are expected to be restored to free-flowing conditions by 2030.
The exploitation of nature has led to deforestation, species extinction, and ecosystem collapse; one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction.
Destroying nature destroys important resources for human survival, such as clean water and food.
Collective responsibility and long-term vision
Furthermore, a vision of collective global responsibility must be advocated , as resources and opportunities are unequally distributed. Wealthier nations and individuals contribute disproportionately to greenhouse gas emissions, while the poorest are more affected by climate change-related disasters.
The poorest half of the population suffers 75% of the relative income losses due to climate change, despite being responsible for only 12% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The report also encourages us to consider future generations and how current decisions can have long-term repercussions. It proposes, for example, a long-term vision in policymaking.
Finally, it reveals an imbalance of values in which economic value often prevails over other values, which must be redefined. For example, in some places, deforested land is valued up to 7.5 times more than forested land.
ON SOURCE: NACIONES UNIDAS