Summary reader response #1

In the article, “Five years since the Paris Agreement, the world must get ambitious on climate action”, Sharma (2020) addressed the world’s efforts to reduce the existing effects on climate change at the global Climate Ambition Summit. As of the fifth year of the Paris Agreement, Sharma noted that a total of 75 leaders are committed to include net-zero energy, nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and adaptations and resilience in their plans. Amongst the submitted revised plans for climate action, he highlighted that president Xi Jing Ping announced that China will reach carbon neutrality before 2060. He also mentioned that Singapore intends to invest in environment-centric projects whilst Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong encourages globally to work together. In addition, Sharma emphasizes that a significant change in ambition is necessary to tackle climate change. Thus, improvements must take place by the world leaders: increased international resolve and partnership. Sharma (2020) concluded that the progress on the COVID-19 vaccines has proven that nothing is impossible if everyone works together to combat climate change. Hence, I agree that individual efforts are equally as important as the world’s partnership efforts to reach climate goals.

Firstly, I believe that individual efforts in reducing the existing effects of climate change are important.  Based on the BBC article “Climate change action: We can’t all be Greta, but your choices have a ripple effect”, Rowlatt (2019) stated that our actions do influence the people around us. An example would be Greta Thunberg, who is a teenage climate activist. In the article, an embarkment Greta lived out would be opting to be whisked across the Atlantic on a racing yacht instead of flying the plane to her climate change meetings in New York. While many of our individual actions may not be as magnanimous as Greta, I am convinced that there is still hope to be part of the solution in reducing the effects of climate change.

Secondly, I reckon that education is a powerful platform to raise awareness of global warming. It was mentioned that climate change is not an issue that the government can solve alone but it takes every individual to act on it. In the article, “Climate change: Many think they can’t make a difference”, Tan (2018) stated that in the survey done in 2016, only “9 out of 10 were concerned about the effects of climate change on future generations.” Through this statement, it is evident that not all individuals are aware of the existing effects of climate change. Hence, I believe in educating individuals from a young age to cultivate a like-minded mindset towards reaching climate goals.

Lastly, I conjecture that the affluent do have a greater impact on the environment. In the article “How affluent people can end their mindless overconsumption”, Bhalla and Barclay (2020) stated that a report from Oxfam and the Stockholm Environment Institute, that the richest 10% of the world’s population were responsible for 52% of cumulative carbon emissions and ate up 31% of the world’s carbon budget from 1990 to 2015. In my opinion, I agree that affluent consumption matters much more because of their high spending power, which can, arithmetically, add up to make a critical difference. Therefore,  affluent people should have a shift of mindset, through encouragement from people or even reading up to change their habits and lifestyle.

Overall, though some may feel that individual efforts do not matter because they are merely one out of the seven billion people, I concluded that every individual has a huge role to play in reaching the Paris agreement goals. Therefore, I agree with Sharma that everyone needs to work together to combat the existing effects of climate change.

 

Alok, S. (2020, 20 December). Commentary: Five years since Paris Agreement, world must get ambitious on climate action. Channel News Asia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/uncop26-climate-change-commitment-net-zero-clean-energy-uk-13798700

 

Justin, R. (2019, 19 September). Climate change action: We can’t all be Greta, but your choices have a ripple effect. BBC News.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49756280

Audrey, T.(2018, 27 January). Climate change: Many think they can’t make a difference. The Straits Times.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/climate-change-many-think-they-cant-make-a-difference

Jag, B and Eliza B. (2020, 20 November). How affluent people can end their mindless overconsumption. Vox.

Climate change is accelerating because of rich consumers’ energy use. Here are some solutions. - Vox