Climate change. It is one of the biggest talking points in business today. But what is it? When will it happen? What causes it? How can we minimise its impacts? Does small business have a part to play? Read on to find all these answers and more.

The world’s climate is already getting hotter

The United Nations define climate change as “long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns”. Since pre-industrial times, average global temperatures have risen by 1-1.1 degrees centigrade.

The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) state that the climate has warmed at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2,000 years (and about 10 time faster than the average rate of warming after an ice age). Each of the last four decades has been successively warmer than any decade that preceded it since 1850.

The Paris Agreement committed countries to limiting global warming to well below 2°C and ideally 1.5°C, which will require deep and immediate cuts to our global greenhouse gas emissions. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase annually as they have been doing, we could see temperatures increase by 3-6°C by the end of the century.

Climate change is caused by human activity

The greenhouse effect is where the sun’s energy becomes absorbed by greenhouse gases - such as carbon dioxide (CO_2­), methane and nitrous oxide - in the Earth’s atmosphere and radiated in all directions to create a warming effect.

Since the industrial revolution, the burning of fossil fuels such as oil has increased concentrations of CO₂ in our atmosphere, so that now atmospheric CO₂ levels are nearly 50% higher than they were in 1750 and higher than at any time in at least 2 million years. Methane levels are over 150% higher than they were in 1750, driven by factors such as industrial livestock farming.

The IPCC, in its Sixth Assessment Report, concluded that it is unequivocal that the increase in CO₂, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere over the industrial era is the result of human activities and that human influence is the principal driver of many changes observed across the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.

The impacts of climate change are here

We are already seeing the effects of climate change through global temperature rises, warmer oceans, shrinking ice sheets, retreating glaciers, rising sea levels, increased ocean acidification, changes to extreme weather events and decline in arctic sea ice.

The IPCC has modelled various greenhouse emissions scenarios. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21^st Century unless deep reductions in CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades. If GHG emissions continue to increase at high or very high levels, we can expect between 3°C-6°C warming by the end of this century.

Time to avoid the worst climate change impacts is running out

While some impacts of climate change are now largely irreversible, we can still minimise the worst impacts of climate change. But time is running out. The science is clear: we need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions now if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

What can small businesses do to limit climate change?

Businesses with less than 250 employees account for 99% of all firms in the OECD and 70% of the workforce. Small businesses have a big impact and have a substantial part to play in meeting our global carbon reduction targets.

If you run a small business, you might want to measure your carbon footprint and set net zero targets if you do not already. Check out our Step-by Step Guide to Net Zero for SMEs and our free Step 3 Essential Free Tools for Setting Net Zero Targets for more guidance on how you can tackle climate change in your business.  

Good Business Sustainability

At Good Business Sustainability we pride ourselves on helping to make being green easier. We provide a broad range of sustainability consultancy services tailored to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and start-ups. GB Sustainability provides consultations, projects, and retainers across a range of sustainability topics and business sectors.

If you are ready to do your part to tackle climate change, why not set up a free initial exploratory call with one of our sustainability professionals today.

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