Catastrophic climate reports are tiring

Another IPCC report has been released and again it does not make for pleasant reading. Approximately six months on from COP27 when UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres declared we are on a highway to climate hell, not a lot has changed. The actions that we are taking are insufficient, greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise and global temperatures have risen +1.1°C above pre-industrial levels.

Whilst most major media outlets have covered the report in some form, given the scale of the issue it does not have appear to have garnered the attention one might expect. It has, from certain media outlets, even received criticism for being alarmist and that it is driving too much state spending.

This should not be a political issue. Is there really something so bad about wanting to create a more sustainable future for all, with cleaner air, protected human rights and a more stable environment for all of the planet’s inhabitants? Its tiring to keep on saying we need to act now. It is true to say that the free market can intervene perhaps quicker than Governments can but the reality is that it hasn’t. Furthermore, this shouldn’t be about making it someone else’s job, it should be a priority for us all.

Some of you reading this may be in companies that are really driving the sustainability agenda forward, others may be in organisations where there is more work to do but while we are receiving regular reports saying that not enough is being done then there is still room for us all to do a little more.

It would be so much better if these catastrophic reports and statements would stop being published. We can stop them if we want, by taking action now!

Engage your colleagues on sustainability, take individual action yourself, lobby the organisations you work in to do more and demand more of your representatives in Government. This isn’t about making it someone else’s problem to sort, it is about us all playing our part to create a more sustainable future for all.