The problem: Climate Change
Human activities have warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented. While climate change is poised to have devastating impacts everywhere, those in global extreme poverty will be hardest hit. Climate change will both push more people into extreme poverty and catastrophically affect the lives of people already in extreme poverty. According to the World Bank, “up to 132 million people may fall into poverty by 2030 due to the manifold effects of climate change.”[1] The effects of climate change on the world’s poor include forced displacement, destruction of homes and property, health effects from extreme weather events (droughts, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, exposure to extreme temperatures), impacts on crop yields, food prices and food insecurity. [2]
The most widespread scientific benchmark for measuring global warming is the rise in average temperature relative to pre-industrial levels. This has already increased by 1.1°C. The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to ensure no higher than a 2°C rise by 2100 and endeavours to limit it to 1.5°C. But even those increases would be catastrophic. And the scale of global action required to limit warming to 1.5°C – a devastating, nonetheless best–case scenario – is historically unprecedented.[3]
The solution: Policy and technology changes in the global energy system
More than 70% of the emissions that cause global warming come from our energy system. Every year, the global energy system produces almost 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions — pushing our planet toward irreversible climate tipping points. As emerging economies develop and their energy needs increase, that number will only increase unless we make dramatic changes to the way we power our world. And in order to decarbonize the global energy system, we need to push for the technology and policy changes needed to achieve a zero-emissions, high-energy planet at an affordable cost [4].
