Climate change is a hot topic that grows hotter every year — much like our planet. We all know the dangers of climate change, which is why we’re constantly bombarded with advice and tips on what we can do to improve the situation. You’ve seen these all the time, both on this website and on other blogs. We all need to recycle more, drive less, turn our heating down at home, etc. By all means, these are the important precautionary measures to include in our daily life.
By Team Savant
Image: Markus Spiske
We should all attempt to live a more eco-friendly life by making sustainable shopping choices and changing our daily habits. However, I take issue with the fact that climate change has almost become a human problem. What I mean is that it’s almost like regular people are being blamed for it. We’re always getting news stories and advice and what we can do to help things, which implies that we are the only people responsible for climate change.
The reason this is frustrating is because it simply isn’t true…
71% Of Global Emissions Are Caused By 100 Companies
Image: Markus Spiske
A study from 2017 revealed that just 100 companies were responsible for 71% of total global emissions. Think about how many businesses exist in the world, then realise that only 100 of them are responsible for nearly three-quarters of our carbon emissions! Wait, it gets worse.
If you take a deeper dive into the data, you find that only 20 companies are responsible for a third of the world’s carbon emissions. This is an unbelievable stat, made all the more unbelievable when we refer back to the ongoing climate change narrative. Again, we’re bombarded with ways in which we — as human beings — can contribute to the fight against climate change. However, consider how much change we can make when there are big companies having more of an impact than we ever could.
It’s like leaving your tap on upstairs and seeing a leak through the floor under your bathroom. So, you try to block the leak, you put a bucket underneath it, and do everything you can to slow it down. But, the tap is still on, causing more and more water to leak through. This is what the climate change battle feels like - we’re doing all the hard work while the actual source isn’t being addressed.
What Can Businesses Do To Make a Difference?
It’s worth noting that some businesses are adopting more eco-friendly practices to limit their environmental impact. Even in the oil & gas industry, companies are focusing on finding alternative fuel sources that don’t produce carbon emissions. You even have oil companies using fiberglass separators to prevent oil spills and avoid damaging the aquatic environment. So, things are being done, but more needs to be tried!
Instead of us regular people shouldering the burden, the biggest companies in the world need to be held accountable. Governments have to implement rules and regulations that force them to reduce carbon emissions and decrease pollution. Realistically, the only way we will battle climate change is if these changes happen.