Climate change is a dense and controversial topic, but we’re going to distil some of the key parts down to something simple, readable and digestible. If the topic comes up in conversation – either at the office or down the pub – this will help you hold your own. In this article, we’ll deal with what causes the emissions we’re trying to stop.
Human activity on the planet is emitting fifty-one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year.
While the headlines like to point at gas-guzzling cars and global air travel as the culprits, there are far more activities producing greenhouses gases than you may think.
In actual fact, almost everything humans do: growing things, making things, transporting things and consuming things creates a carbon footprint.
Here’s a percentage breakdown of the global causes of greenhouse emissions worldwide:
- Manufacturing materials such as cement, steel and plastic: 31%
- Producing electricity: 27%
- Agriculture for both plants and animals: 19%
- Transportation, including all planes, trucks and cargo ships: 16%
- Temperature regulation, including heating, cooling and refrigeration: 7%
So, while it’s right to be concerned about the amount of fuel we’re burning to get around, it’s far more important to think about manufacturing.
For example, every country in the world wants buildings made out of cement and reinforced steel.
Steel and cement production alone accounts for 10% of global greenhouse emissions. That’s because fossil fuels are burnt to heat the kilns that Therefore, we need to find a way of either sustainably creating cement or finding some other way to manage worldwide construction.
If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world behind China and the United States.
Meanwhile, we all take for granted that electricity will be there to power our appliances and keep the lights on. And, while electricity can be powered by renewable energy, it’s still overwhelmingly created by burning fossil fuels – particularly in the United States and China.
So while making small changes in our everyday lives is vitally important, we can also start to think about which industries need to be made clean as a priority.
MORE : Introducing Metro.co.uk’s brand new climate series: #Just1Change
MORE : You told us how supermarkets should fight climate change – Here’s what they said
Metro.co.uk's #Just1Change campaign
In the run up to COP26 and beyond, we will be sharing stories, ideas and advice about one common theme: The climate crisis.
At a time when the weight of environmental issues feels very heavy and overwhelming, our aim is to deliver content that will not only inform and educate but also offer hope and inspiration.
Here are some of our #Just1Change highlights so far:
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