Climate Change Statistics and Misconceptions

• Opinion statistics on climate change come from surveying 1,000 people aged 16-25 in each surveyed country.
• Social status, environmental factors, and welfare should be separated or divided for more precise statements.
• The biggest social and environmental challenges are facing the world today.
• 2023 was recorded as the hottest year ever.

Global Warming

• Misconceptions exist today concerning domestic work and global warming.
• Misconceptions also concern plastic in oceans, life satisfaction, global collaborations, and extreme poverty.
• The average temperature continues to increase even if annual net CO2 emissions are halved.
• The atmosphere acts like a bathtub when considering CO2 levels.
• The outflow of CO2 in the atmosphere is very small.
• CO2 amounts keep increasing because very little CO2 gets removed.
• The small amount of CO2 removed each year dissolves in oceans.
• Carbon, over millions of years, can be captured in rock formations.
• The temperature would continue to increase for 2-3 decades even if carbon emissions stopped completely.
• 57 companies are linked to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions since 2016.
• Increased fossil fuel output and related emissions occurred in 7 years following the Paris climate deal.
• The amount of carbon majors and global CO2 emissions from 1854-2022 are shown.
• From 1960-1980, emissions doubled.
• Increased emissions are slower since the 2016 Paris Agreement compared to previous years.

Planetary Boundaries and Doughnut Economics

• The planetary boundaries were developed by a team of 30 leading scientists led by Johan Rockström.
• Nine factors central to the stability and resilience of our planet define a safe operating space for humanity.
• Climate change is one of these 9 factors.
• Rapid physical feedback mechanisms are driving the Earth system into a much warmer state.
• Sea levels are expected to rise meters higher than the present levels.
• Ecosystems are changing rapidly due to human activity, increasing the risk of abrupt and irreversible changes.
• Such ecological changes include demand for food, water, and natural resources, leading to possible biodiversity loss.
• Stratospheric ozone depletion increases the incidence of skin cancer on terrestrial and marine biological systems.
• Storm damage affects all Americans economically.
• Severe weather like torrential rainfall and flooding cause substantial costs and influences climate trends.
• Northern regions are more affected economically by storm damage than the South.
• Economic damage is measured as a share of the gross domestic product.
• Agriculture leads to biodiversity loss.
• The environmental impacts of agriculture can be reduced via policies, enforcement, and changes in the main drivers.

Poverty and Inequality

• Extreme poverty has declined steadily since 1980.
• Hundreds of millions of people still survive on less than $2 a day.
• Basic needs are not always met.
• The poverty line is around $30 a day in high-income countries.
• In 2020, the top 1% of households owned 43% of the world’s wealth.
• In 2020, the top 10% of households owned 85% of the world's wealth.
• The bottom 90% possess the remaining 15% of the worlds wealth.

Social Sustainability

• Doughnut Economics adds a social foundation to the planetary boundaries.
• Globally, 975 million people (one in nine) are undernourished.
• Poverty-related causes lead to 18,000 children dying each day.
• 800,000 suicides occur globally.
• 1 in 4 children under 5 has stunted growth due to undernutrition. Around 10 million people are stateless.

Tragedy of the Commons

• Common goods are excludable and rivalrous, varying from private, club, common or public.
• Overfishing, coffee consumption, fast fashion, and animal extinction are relevant examples.
• The tragedy of the commons describes individuals acting in self-interest, overusing and depleting a shared resource, leading to collective loss.
• Resources are non-excludable (everyone has access) but rivalrous (one person’s use reduces availability for others).
• Garrett Hardin popularized the concept in 1968, applicable to environmental and economic issues.
• Real-world examples include overfishing, where fish stocks like Pacific Bluefin Tuna are depleted due to unrestricted fishing.
• Deforestation involves excessive logging for agriculture and timber, leading to habitat destruction and biodiversity loss.
• Fast fashion waste results in massive textile waste, exemplified by 100,000+ tons of clothes in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
• Animal extinction is driven by overhunting and habitat destruction.
• Water scarcity involves unregulated water usage in agriculture/industries, leading to freshwater source depletion.
• Solutions to the tragedy of the commons include governmental regulations, such as restricted access using quotas/limits.
• Fines and penalties are applied for excessive use or damage to common resources.
• Privatization assigns ownership, incentivizing responsible resource management.
• Elinor Ostrom proposed community-based solutions with self-organized, local management via clear boundaries.
• Rules/restrictions set regulations for time, place, technology, and quantity of use.
• Graduated sanctions implement penalties based on misuse severity.
• Conflict resolution mechanisms help address disputes among users.
• The Suonen irrigation system in Switzerland is a historical example, successfully managed since 1483.
• Using regulations, incentives, and local governance mitigates the tragedy of the commons, ensuring sustainable use of shared resources.

Circular Economy

• Focus is on maximizing what's in use through the lifecycle: from sourcing to supply chain to consumption, conversion back to a new source to minimize waste.
• Circular Economy operates at the macro level.
• The circular economy involves Material exchange between the economy and the environment.
• The circular economy includes material accumulation in economies.
• The circular economy requires a structural shift, including the decline of certain sectors and the rise of others.
• The circular economy depends heavily on technological change (green product and process innovation.)
• The circular economy includes Technical Change in the Energy, Mobility, Building, and Food sectors.
• A Sankey diagram illustrates EU waste.
• A circularity indicator for the EU tracks how well the EU is reusing, recycling, and reducing waste.
• The circularity indicator tracks these processes instead of extracting new resources and discarding materials.
• Possible indicators include recycling rate (% of materials reused.
• Material efficiency is measured as GDP per unit of material used.
• Circular material use rate (CMU) shares secondary raw materials in the economy.
• Circular strategies would reduce resource extraction, lower emissions and increase recycling.
• The flows in the Sankey diagram would shift toward more recycling and reuse and less waste going to landfills/incineration.
• At the micro-level, companies should minimize waste.
• Circular Economy actions are best implemented across all three fundamental strategies.
• Action also requires slow resource loops by extending product life.
• Closing resource loops via recycling and stimulation reuse is recommended to promote effective reuse.
• To narrow resource flows, use fewer resources per product and increase resource efficiency.
• Companies need to increase their effort in applying all three fundamental strategies.
• Slow resource loops occur where product life is extended.
• Closed resource loops occur through recycling and stimulation reuse.
• Narrow resource flows are achieved by using fewer resources per product and increasing resource efficiency.
• Design for Recycling (DFR): products are designed for easier recycling.
• Product Life Extension (PLE): product life is extended via repair or reuse.
• Reuse. Refurbishment and Remanufacturing (RPO) provide products/parts with a second life.
• All strategies aim to reduce waste and keep materials in use.

Eurostat Reading

• The core of a circular economy is the implementation of these strategies,
• Central to a circular economy are 4 CBM strategies (close, narrow, slow, dematerialize).
• Effective development requires the implementation of these economic strategies.
• Circular Economy practices have both business and environmental benefits.
• Examples of Circular Economy strategies are leasing and repair.
• Implementation needs system change, which can be difficult without scaling the system.
• A Sankey diagram shows detailed material flows in the EU economy.
• A circular material use rate (circularity rate) measures the share of recycled materials re-entering the economy.
• The circularity rate in 2023 was 11.8%, an increase from 8.2% in 2004, demonstrating progress.
• The purpose of these tools is to track material use, recycling, and loss.
• Technological change differentiates different dimensions.
• Circular material consumption aids in monitoring circular economy goals and guide EU policies.
• Sankey diagrams give detailed visuals of the flows, which have high resolution.
• The Circularity rate is a simplified indicator that assesses resource efficiency. Technological change includes differentiating the dimensions of change.
• In product innovation, a good/service is new or significantly less damaging to the environment.
• In product innovation, significant improvements are witnessed in technical specifications, components/materials. User friendliness is also improved. Process innovation involves a new, significantly improved production/delivery method. Significant changes may also be seen in techniques and equipment. Product innovation includes New/improved products.

Types of and Links to Technological Change.

• Process innovation leads to better internal operations.
• Business model innovation leads to new ways of creating/delivering value.
• All Innovation types use tech to improve or create new solutions.
• Technology enables more efficient processes, smarter products, and innovative business models.
• In product development, eco-friendly/socially responsible products should be preferred.
• Efficient resource use and better working conditions are achieved in process operation.
• Innovation supports sustainable innovation by enabling faster, smarter and more inclusive progress.

Climate Change & Policies

• Most global greenhouse gas emissions are related to the energy industries.
• Ultra-Low Emission (ULE) Coal Plants use tech to reduce pollutants (SO₂, NOx, dust).
• Clean coal uses technology to reduce harmful emissions from coal.
• Ultra Low Emission plants meet Strict air pollution limits (not CO₂).
• There are varying emission levels across countries due government policies.
• Using fossil fuels is often a limited solution, and isn't fully aligned with climate goals.
• These plants are often seen as transitional.
• Green patents peaked around 2012 (13%) and then declined.
• CCM transportation shows steady growth.
• Other areas (wastewater, buildings, ICT, etc.) remain below 2%, with slight increases.
• A strong rise in industrial development was seen Until 2012; stagnation/decline followed with uneven growth across sectors.

Barriers to innovation

• Green tech frequently lacks profitability, so political action is essential.
• Policy adjustments help to overcome investment barriers.
• Internalizing external costs (e.g., pollution taxes) reflects true environmental impact and boosts willingness to pay.
• Create a competitive policy environment to attract green innovation.
• Sustainable development meets present needs without compromising future generations (Brundtland definition).
• Development involves environmental (natural systems), economic (livelihoods/prosperity), and social dimensions (equity/well-being/participation).
• Balance planet, people, and profit (Triple Bottom Line)
• The UN adopted 17 SDGs in 2015 to set a global blueprint for sustainability in 2030.
• The SDGs covers areas like poverty, education, energy, climate and equality.
• Businesses must align strategy with SDGs for responsibility and opportunity.
• Reducing virgin resource extraction and waste
• Core loops:
  • Close (recycle)
  • Narrow (use less),
  • Slow (extend life)
  • Dematerialize (services instead of products)
• Circular business models create economic and environmental value.
• Three Levels of Sustainability encompass individual behaviors.
• Businesses can adopt three levels of sustainability: action, company innovation and effective sustainability
• Innovations must scale from micro macro to achieve a lasting impact.
• Green innovation is defined as as green technologies that reduce environmental harm.