Environmental Aspects of ESG (Climate Change) PDF

Environmental Aspects of ESG (Climate Change) EE6000: Introduction to ESG Adel Aawan Climate Change The term climate refers to the general weather conditions of a place over many years. Climate change is a significant variation of average weather conditions—say, conditions...

Environmental Aspects of ESG (Climate Change) EE6000: Introduction to ESG Adel Aawan Climate Change The term climate refers to the general weather conditions of a place over many years. Climate change is a significant variation of average weather conditions—say, conditions becoming warmer, wetter, or drier—over several decades or more. It’s that longer-term trend that differentiates climate change from natural weather variability. And while “climate change” and “global warming” are often used interchangeably, global warming—the recent rise in the global average temperature near the earth’s surface—is just one aspect of climate change. Climate change includes both the global warming driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases, and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns Climate Change is the predominant environmental problem of the twenty-first century that has repercussions in the social, economic, and political arenas. Climate change GLOBAL WARMING is the increase of the Earth’s average surface temperature due to a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere CLIMATE CHANGE is a broader term that refers to long-term changes in climate, including average temperature and precipitation.  Natural causes of climate change Anthropogenic causes of climate change Climate Change Unfortunately, human activity is adding more gas to the layer than there should be. It is therefore getting thicker and thicker. It is still able to let the sun’s heat through but even less heat is escaping back into the atmosphere. This means that the earth’s temperature is rising.  Greenhouse Effect The mechanics of the earth’s climate system are simple. Our earth is surrounded by a layer of gases called Greenhouse gases. Their job Is to keep the earth’s temperature nice and warm or there would be no life on the planet. A consequence of the first law of thermodynamics is that when a system receives more heat than it rejects, the temperature of this system rises. On the contrary, if the system rejects more heat than it receives, its temperature falls When energy from the sun is reflected off the earth and back into space (mostly by clouds and ice), or when the earth’s atmosphere releases energy, the planet cools. When the earth absorbs the sun’s energy, or when atmospheric gases prevent heat released by the earth from radiating into space (the greenhouse effect), the planet warms. A variety of factors, both natural and human, can influence the earth’s climate system.  Example of the Greenhouse Effect The Sun’s energy passes through the car’s windshield. This energy (heat) is trapped inside the car and cannot pass back through the windshield, causing the inside of the car to warm up.  The most important energy exchanges that affect the temperature of the biosphere are the following: Because the earth’s core The earth’s surface is much hotter than its reflects a high fraction of Clouds in the surface, terrestrial heat the incoming insolation atmosphere reflect a is conducted from the back to the outer space. high fraction of the interior of the earth to Ice reflects more than insolation. the biosphere. 90% of the insolation. The oceans, because of the enormously high Part of the terrestrial mass of water they radiation is reflected contain, absorb, and back to the earth by release heat to the clouds. Because of this, surrounding atmosphere cloudy nights are and regulate the warmer. temperature. Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is NATURAL! It is supposed to happen! It would happen even if there was not a human being on the planet! In fact if there was no greenhouse effect then humans could not live here as the planet would be 33c colder and would look like and be as cold as Mars!  Anthropogenic causes of climate change Greenhouse Gas Emissions Humans—more specifically, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions we generate—are the leading cause of the earth’s rapidly changing climate. Greenhouse gases play an important role in keeping the planet warm enough to inhabit. But the amount of these gases in our atmosphere has skyrocketed in recent decades. The burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas for electricity, heat, and transportation is the primary source of human-generated emissions. For example, in the following complete combustion equations of carbon (the main ingredient of coal) and methane:  The result of two and a half centuries of fossil fuel combustion. Average concentration by volume of the CO2 in the earth’s lower atmosphere from the beginning of the industrial revolution to Greenhouse 2015 Constant for millennia, at approximately Gas Emissions 280 ppm Contd. Steadily rising with the increased use of fossil fuels and reached the level 400 ppm in 2015 CO2 concentration has significantly accelerated since 1950 Increase of coal and petroleum product combustion since the 1950s. During the period of 1950–2015, we also notice the following: The significant increase in the earth’s population The accelerated use of coal and other fossil fuels for the production of higher quantities of electricity The widespread use of the personal automobile and other modes of transportation that predominantly use liquid fossil fuels It must be noted that CO2 is not the sole GHG. CH4, N2O, and several CFC compounds also reflect the terrestrial radiation and contribute to the thickening of the earth’s blanket The average annual temperature of the biosphere The earth is a complex, highly nonlinear, dynamic system, where small changes in the composition of the atmosphere have the potential to cause significant local and global environmental and ecological effects. One of these effects has become apparent: the average annual temperature of the biosphere shows a clear, increasing long-term trend in the last several decades.  Other effects and The severely decreasing phenomena The long-term rising of the amounts of ice coverage in the that average sea water polar regions corroborate the temperature and the thinning of the conclusion that glaciers the temperature of The apparent the The reduction in the average rising of the sea level by 19 cm biosphere is amount of snowfall from 1990 to increasing are 2010 the following: Other causes of climate change A second major source is deforestation, which releases sequestered carbon into the air. It’s estimated that logging, clear-cutting, fires, and other forms of forest degradation contribute up to 20 percent of global carbon emissions. Other human activities that generate air pollution include fertilizer use (a primary source of nitrous oxide emissions), livestock production (cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats are major methane emitters), and certain industrial processes that release fluorinated gases. Activities like agriculture and road construction can change the reflectivity of the earth’s surface, leading to local warming or cooling, too. Natural causes of climate change As we all know, the earth has gone through warm and cool phases in the past long before humans were around. Forces that contribute to climate change include the sun’s intensity, volcanic eruptions, and changes in naturally occurring greenhouse gas concentrations. But records indicate that today’s climatic warming— particularly the warming since the mid-20th century—is occurring much faster than ever before and can’t be explained by natural causes alone. According to NASA, “These natural causes are still in play today, but their influence is too small, or they occur too slowly to explain the rapid warming seen in recent decades.” As you can see the main culprit is Spend 5 minutes in listing all the ways that you have contributed to global warming in the last 24 hours! What proof do we have?  The effects of global climate change According to the World Economic Forum’s 2016 Global Risks Report, the failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change will be “the most impactful risk” facing communities worldwide in the coming decade— ahead even of weapons of mass destruction and water crises. As climate change transforms global ecosystems, it affects everything from the places we live to the water we drink to the air we breathe. 1. Extreme weather As the earth’s atmosphere heats up, it collects, retains, and drops more water, changing weather patterns and making wet areas wetter and dry areas drier. Higher temperatures worsen and increase the frequency of many types of disasters, including storms, floods, heat waves, and droughts. These events can have shocking and costly consequences, jeopardizing access to clean drinking water, fueling out-of-control wildfires, damaging property, creating hazardous-material spills, polluting the air, and leading to loss of life. 2. Dirty air Air pollution and climate change are inseparably linked, with one worsening the other. When the earth’s temperatures rise, not only does our air gets dirtier—with smog and soot levels going up—but there are also more allergenic air pollutants such as circulating and pollen (due to longer, stronger pollen seasons).  Health risks According to the World Health Organization, “climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year” between 2030 and 2050. As global temperatures rise, so do the number of fatalities a nd illnesses from heat stress, heatstroke, and cardiovascular and kidney disease. Rising seas The Arctic is heating twice as fast as any other place on the planet. As its ice sheets melt into the seas, our oceans are on track to rise one to four feet higher by 2100, threatening coastal ecosystems and low- lying areas. Island nations face particular risk, as do some of the world’s largest cities, including New York, Miami, Mumbai, and Sydney.  Portage Glacier Alaska 1914 2004 Photos: NOAA Photo Collection and Gary Braasch – WorldViewOfGlobalWarming.org Colorado River Arizona June 2002 Dec 2003 7 METRE RISE 13 METRE RISE 84 METRE RISE Sea level rise around the world is going to leave many people homeless! Many of the The tiny island nation of the Maldives is in trouble. If global warming world’s islands continues, say scientists, the country are already could sink beneath the ocean within disappearing 100 years. The average height of the islands above sea level is 1.5 meters beneath the and the rate of sea level rise is sea. currently 59 cm per century. Tuvalu is found in the ocean near Australia. Most of Tuvalu is less than one metre above sea level. There will also be an increase in COASTAL FLOODING And Hurricanes will become more frequent, intense and will happen in places that currently do not suffer them! Drought and crop failure Drought and crop failure can lead to FAMINE WHICH THEN LEADS TO DISEASE And this could be common in countries that do not usually suffer Some places will suffer far more rain…. And therefore flooding will become more frequent and severe. What can you do to help solve the problem? Simple Things To Do Turn off your computer or the TV when you’re not using it. Take shorter showers. Heating water uses energy. Keep rooms cool by closing the blinds, shades, or curtains. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Use compact fluorescent bulbs. Or try and generate electricity in a cleaner, more environmentally friendly way. Environmental Aspects of ESG (Climate Change) It is very important to understand the earth system, greenhouse effect, and the climate change to appreciate the importance of ESG application in all sectors all around the world. The anthropological causes can be limited by our actions, only our actions can delay climate change. The cost of adoption of the impact later is more expensive than the efforts we can do now to avoid future catastrophe. Individuals, organisations, and governments must take action now to avoid severe consequences later.