The debate around the race to Net-Zero
The phrase “Saving the Planet” has been echoing on a global outreach, even from entities claiming to be environmentally friendly and the truth is that they don’t match the eco-friendly standards. Fast forward 29 years, and on the news one morning, it is announced that the world achieved its target and has reached Net-Zero. Of course, this is more of an optimistic picture than what is being publicly discussed in 2021.
Controversy around net-zero
We all have witnessed Greta Thunberg's recent comments about Net-Zero. She declared that all we hear are words that sound terrific but have not yet resulted in action and that all our aspirations and dreams are drowned out by false promises. This does appear to be somewhat true, as so far words have spoken louder than actions regarding this issue. The world doesn’t need a code red climate event for us to dive in for instant action.
However, on a narrower global scale, it was announced on https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59136214 that large UK corporations and financial institutions would be required to demonstrate how they themselves aim to meet climate change objectives. They will also be required to publish comprehensive public plans by 2023, outlining how they want to transition to a low-carbon future, in accordance with the UK's 2050 Net-Zero ambition.
Such an obligation could drive things forward, and finally, we can witness extensive research to secure a better future. That being said, how much of an impact would Covid-19 have on firms being able to release their plans? The pandemic has undoubtedly presented businesses with significant hurdles, all of which will certainly have an influence on some firms' long-term sustainability goals. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We should focus on the present; there are still 2 years to go – and we still have no idea what is going to happen in the near future.
Daily impacts on the environment
The irony is that our basic day-to-day activities can often cause unintentional environmental harm as well, where short-term solutions outweigh long-term impacts on the climate. Air conditioning is one major example of this. As the world heats up, and as more and more heavily glazed buildings are designed, excessive air conditioning usage is needed for cooling, which in turn requires more energy and releases more harmful pollutants which then worsen global warming. Energy demand for space cooling is the biggest factor in the growing demand for electricity, with air conditioning requirements expected to triple by 2050.
We at Smartlouvre have already started to highlight how MicroLouvre can significantly help companies with their race to Net-Zero. As a supporter for Cop26, last week, we were actively present at The Big Sustainability Expo in Southampton, showcasing and demonstrating the effectiveness of MicroLouvre solar shading systems in decreasing the energy requirements of a building by more than 68%.
Global warming is happening, and it is essential that businesses, architects and building owners play their part in the fight against climate change. Theoretically, limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees or below 2 might not seem a huge stretch, right? But, statistically speaking, this slight increase would mean tragic impacts occurring.
Let us help you meet your climate change objectives today, so we can protect the world for tomorrow.
