Limiting global warming requires rapid and far-reaching transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global human-caused carbon dioxide emissions need to fall by 50% over the next decade. Every extra bit of warming matters to reduce irreversible harm to our ecosystems. Right now, we need to make unprecedented changes to ensure a sustainable and equitable society.
Eneref Initiatives bring about a tipping point by creating the dynamic of the impression of common knowledge and the perceived social pressure to act. Information may be “known”, but it is not until a viral argument makes the information common knowledge that people begin to take action.
Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces.
Focusing on universal access to energy, increased energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energy through new economic and job opportunities is crucial to creating more sustainable and inclusive communities and resilience to environmental issues like climate change.
The shift to more urban societies is a global trend with significant consequences for greenhouse gas emissions.
The anticipated growth in urban population will require a massive build-up of urban infrastructure, which is a key driver of emissions across multiple sectors. Across multiple dimensions, the scale and speed of urbanization are unprecedented. The future urbanization trends are significantly different from past growth. Local governments and institutions possess unique opportunities to engage in mitigation activities.
Buildings are critical to the global challenge of sustainable development.
Globally, buildings are the biggest unmet need for basic energy services, in developing countries, while much-existing energy use in buildings in developed countries is often wasteful and inefficient. Existing and future buildings will determine a large proportion of global energy demand. Buildings offer immediately available, highly cost-effective opportunities to reduce energy demand.
Industry-related greenhouse gas emissions are higher than any other sector.
A reduction in industry emissions requires a broad set of mitigation options beyond energy efficiency, including fuel and feedstock switching, carbon dioxide capture and storage, material use efficiency, recycling and re-use of materials and products, service efficiency, and demand reductions.
Transport emissions are increasing at a faster rate than other energy end-use sectors.
Continuing growth in passenger and freight activity could outweigh all mitigation measures unless transport emissions can be strongly decoupled from GDP growth. Financial, institutional, cultural, and legal barriers constrain low-carbon technology. Avoided journeys, behavioral change, improved vehicle performance, low-carbon fuels, improved transport infrastructure, are all needed to mitigate transport emissions.
Water is a precious and vital resource of our ecosystems on which all life itself is based.
Delivering water and wastewater services is energy-intensive. Policy on water infrastructure involves planning and financing. Local officials and utilities who manage assets can begin to consider alternative technologies. Water efficiency provides a range of benefits for the community. Using less water means moving and treating less water, which reduces the strain on infrastructure.
The construction of cities creates significant emissions and determines future energy demands.
Our indoor environment s affects our health and well-being. People who live in industrialized societies can spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors. Exposure to indoor environments has grown significantly over the last 50 years. Eneref Wellness reports look at opportunities that can create healthier indoor spaces in which to live, work and play.
The global food system’s environmental impact is large and growing.
Nearly a quarter of all planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions come from food production and associated land-use change. And as incomes rise and more people move to cities, consumption of meat and dairy – foods with outsized climate impacts – is on the rise. The world population is expected to approach 10 billion people by 2050. With this projected increase in population and shifts to higher-meat diets, agriculture alone could account for the majority of the emissions budget for limiting global warming below 2°C (3.6°F). This level of agricultural emissions would render the goal of keeping warming below 1.5°C (2.7°F) impossible.