During this year World Environment Day, millions of world citizens commemorated the day under the campaign slogan ‘Only One Earth’ led by the UN Environment Programme. This was a global call for collective outreach, advocacy and transformative action to protect and restore our planet. 

However, unlike in recent years when this occasion was marked by reports of decreasing number of threats to climate change, the 2022 event was different. Nations such as Germany fired up coal plants to avert gas shortage as Russia cut supplies while globally, there was an increase in the use of fossil fuels, reportedly reacting to the Russian-Ukraine war. 

According to the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21^st Century (REN21), Renewables 2022 Global Status Report, the gains made last year in tackling fossil fuels use were overshadowed by an estimated four per cent rise in energy consumption as the world bounced back from Covid-19 restrictions. The rise was primarily met by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. 

The developments continue to pose a threat to environmental goals, calling for swift, decisive and actionable approaches towards saving the one planet. To this end, nations can consider several factors for a win.

Firstly, climate action advocacy on this matter is an element that needs to be accelerated by business entities and nations. Across the world, the impact will be greater if businesses and nations realised the need for environmental sustainability agenda and lobby for its implementation. 

In the same way, businesses have a role to step forward and urge nations to exercise the actionable environmental initiatives that are alive to the need of phasing out the use of fossil fuels. For instance, at the “We Mean Business Coalition Team”, more than 1,000 businesses lobbied the Group of Seven (G7) members of the world’s advanced economies on the need to make climate-friendly decisions that will save the planet. This is now more important than ever. 

The challenge we face from climate change are global and yet also threaten each nation’s security in unique ways. That is why action within each country’s geographical borders is essential alongside international cooperation and collaboration between public and private sectors. Further, there is a need for increased support including funding from within and beyond the G7. To create even more impact and achieve the shared climate goals, G7 will have to take the lead and fully decarbonise their nation’s power system by 2035.

Secondly, nations can also lead the adoption of global clean energy by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and redirecting capital to developing clean energy sources. Data from the International Monetary Fund indicates fossil fuel subsidies stood at $5.9 trillion in 2020 (6.8 per cent of the global GDP) and are expected to rise to 7.4 per cent of GDP by 2025. 

Thirdly, there is an urgent need for nations to consider e-mobility as a way of accelerating climate action. Transitioning to zero-carbon mobility using electric transport means will offload a huge amount of carbon emissions that are posing a threat to the environment. 

According to the International Energy Agency, the global carbon dioxide emissions rebound by nearly five per cent last year, approaching the 2018-2019 peak. Out of this, road pollution accounted for about 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions owing to the recovery of economies from the Covid-19 pandemic. Considering that renewable energy can be used to improve e-mobility, now is the time for nations to consider this as a game-changer in the transport industry. 

Fourthly and most importantly is the aspect of actioning policies around climate change. During the UN’s Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26), countries reaffirmed the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C  above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. This can only happen if action is put no later than now. 

Above all, nations will need to strengthen their collaboration and partnership in tackling climate change. This requires a collective responsibility. Further, implementing other vital aspects such as green financing and deforestation will also play a crucial role in the fight against climate change.  

— The author is the Managing Director and CEO of KenGen and a member of the COP26 Business Leaders Group—@rebecca_miano