I was born in the week of Rio-92,which launched the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. At this world conference to decide what measures to take in the face of environmental degradation, a single child's speech opened news programs across the globe. It started like this: “I am fighting for my future.
Losing my future is not like losing an election or some points on the stock exchange. I am here to speak on behalf of all generations to come. ”
Sound familiar?
When I was born, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere barely exceeded 350 parts per million. All Science tells us that it is to these numbers that we have to go back if we want to have any chance of living on a planet habitable for humans and other species. 27 years. It doesn't seem that much, does it?
In these 9865 days, we managed to increase emissions in an exponential curve. The UN tells us that we have ten years to reduce global emissions by 50%, but we have not even started to do so.
This week there was a Climate Summit in New York, from which our President came out with enough confidence to say that “it was a great success”.
Great success for whom?
There were small big commitments from those to whom we left the burden of leading this struggle that belongs to all people(77 countries, which represent little in terms of emissions, committed themselves to carbon neutrality by 2050) and the countries with the highest global emissions were absent or represented by a deafening silence.
This content was originally written in Portuguese and published in Expresso
We all have a role to play
With just ten years to go, an ambitious global effort is underway to deliver the 2030 promise. We want to take a stand and we are calling on our community to showcase how they are contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, whilst influencing more and more people to unravel their role to play.
Here, you will find four different ways your ideas can flourish, dialogue can be enhanced, and action can take place. You can choose one or all four, and Nova SBE will be there to support you all the way and guarantee tangible change.
We all have a role to play, and this is your way in.