By: Javier Eduardo Trillos Muñoz
Founding Partner FT Consultants SAS
javier.trillos@ftc.com.co
Climate Change and Colombia's Commitments
One of the most important issues, from a current environmental perspective, is climate change, taking into account the various global evidence that has been presented, such as:
- The average temperature over the last 50 years is almost double that of the last 100 years.
- The average global temperature increased by 0.74ºC during the XNUMXth century.
- The atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased from 278 ppm to 397 ppm.
- Global sea level has risen by 17 centimetres in the XNUMXth century.
- The rise in sea level in the last decade is almost double that of the last century.
- The oceans show an increase of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.
- Glacier melting – The Greenland and Antarctic plates have decreased in mass.
- The acidity of ocean surface waters has increased by 30%. This is the result of the absorption of atmospheric CO2, which has increased due to human emissions.
- Species extinction
- Emergence of new diseases
- Intensification of climatic conditions (very strong summers and very marked rainy seasons).
Therefore, it is convenient to explain what is meant by this phenomenon and what its causes are.
Likewise, in order to avoid being limited by the discussion about the seriousness of the consequences of this phenomenon, we will attempt to propose some actions that society can take, including environmental policies that Colombia should be implementing.
What is climate change?
Climate change is the significant and permanent modification of local or global weather patterns, caused by natural or anthropogenic effects.
Natural effects are understood as variations in the Earth's energy cycles, such as volcanic eruptions, ocean circulation, and biological processes, among others; and anthropogenic effects are understood as population growth, use of fossil fuels, indiscriminate burning, deforestation, changes in land use, excessive consumption of natural resources (water, air, flora, fauna), among others.
Challenges of society
What are the challenges we must face from a societal perspective?
Really the contribution of society to control climate change, in addition to being
predominant, it is easy to implement.
Below are some contributions that can be implemented:
- Raising environmental awareness among new generations
- Reduce the consumption of unnecessary products, as the generation of toxic waste has doubled in the last five years.
- Implement energy efficiency mechanisms; today, only one-fifth of energy is generated by renewable sources.
- Implement recycling and reuse programs. 90% of the waste generated is recyclable, but only 10% is recycled.
- Innovation and technology.
Investment in renewable energy. - Challenges of Colombia
Colombia has taken on significant challenges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has begun implementing the following policies:
- Reducing fossil fuel subsidies
- Definition of mitigation percentages by sector.
- Inclusion of climate change in the sectoral, territorial and development planning instrument.
- Generation of comprehensive climate change plans.
- Design of POTS and Development Plans focused on corporate environmental sustainability.
- Innovation and technology.
- Investment in renewable energy.
- Development of better agricultural practices.
- New development policies.
- Adaptation to temperature changes.
- Food safety.
- Protection of forests and oceans.
Conclusions
This article aims to provide an overview of climate change, but also to send a message of optimism, since, if we truly become aware of this phenomenon, simple personal actions, when combined, can make a significant contribution to mitigating it.
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