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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY AND PROBABLE SOLUTIONS

Climate Change has been the most pressing issue of the 21st century. With impacts ranging from floods, droughts, severe heat-dome, cyclones, rising temperatures- climate change is making its presence felt in every part of the globe. The post-industrial revolution demand for fossil fuels has strained our planet’s ecological health, and the damage caused due to burning vast quantities of carbon-based fuels to run our development engines and modern economies have been immense.

The climate crisis is accelerating at an alarming rate, and the world at large is not prepared for it. While multiple factors impact the climate crisis, certain factors need a specific focus. Some of these environmental challenges are mentioned below:

1. Aligning Governance to the Challenges of Global Sustainability

By far, the above has been the most challenging environmental issue in the present time. More than 900 intergovernmental agreements with provisions on environmental protection are already in force. Some of the significant environmental summits – such as the Conferences of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement and many such – regularly draw several participants and observers.

So, in which manner does environmental governance need to be revitalized? Firstly, at the national and local levels, experts found that sustainability concerns are not well integrated into the economy’s energy, water, and other sectors. It has been argued multiple times if the current approach, i.e., making decisions by consensus, is appropriate for dealing with environmental issues in the present day scenario.

Many scholars even argue that the role of the UN is not sufficient in addressing the road to sustainability. Many other experts voice their displeasure in stating that the current global governance system lacks sufficient means and mechanisms to help the most vulnerable countries carry out their sustainability programmes.

2. Food Waste

It has been observed that a third of the food intended for human consumption- around 1.3 billion tons- is wasted or lost, the food that is enough to feed 3 billion people at one go. Food waste and the loss associated account for nearly 4.4 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. As per the country size, food waste would be the third-highest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the US.

According to the estimates: food waste and loss occur at different stages in developing and developed countries. In developing countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the post-harvest and processing levels, whereas 40% of food waste occurs at the retail and consumer levels in developed countries.

More than 50% of the food produced is thrown away at the retail level simply because it is considered “too ugly” to present to the consumers; this practice amounts to about 60 million tons of fruits and vegetables, making it one of the significant environmental challenges in the present times.

3. Desertification

Another environmental challenge that affects people globally is the challenge of land degradation or Desertification. UNCOD defines Desertification as “the diminution or destructing of the biological potential of land, which can ultimately lead to the desert-like conditions”. The causes of Desertification are plenty and require immediate and specific attention. As per the estimates, about 35 per cent of the Earth’s area, i.e., (about 6.1 billion hectares) and 900 million people are affected by Desertification. The challenge of Desertification leads to loss of vegetation, forcing humans to migrate to more profitable places of livelihood.

In 1994, the General Assembly established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. It declared 17 June “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought” by its resolution A/RES/49/115– https://www.un.org/en/observances/desertification-day/background Further, in 2007, the UN General Assembly declared 2010-2020 the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification to mobilize global action to fight land degradation.

4. Deforestation

Human pressure has increased manifolds on the forests leading to another significant challenge in the 21st century: Deforestation. South America, West-Central Africa and South-East Asia are home to dense forests that are currently in danger.

The requirement for agricultural land, a constant demand for fuel and commercial wood, extensive dam construction, large-scale ranching and mining, and growing industrialization have exploited the forests ruthlessly, creating an imbalance to a large extent. Commercial exploitation is the root cause of deforestation affecting the lives and livelihoods of a considerable number of people.

Thus, forests need to be conserved to maintain the ecological balance as these forests help conserve the Earth’s oxygen and carbon balance. Conserving and preserving forests become even more significant since these protect from the dangers of cloud drifting, soil erosion, floods, wind erosion and groundwater evaporation. Additionally, they also protect a wide variety of flora and fauna and effectively control air pollution.

With such major significance of forests: FAO, UNDP, World Bank and other government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) express their concern about deforestation and have several suggested plans to protect and renew forests. In India, the Chipko Andolan and Narmada Bachao Andolan are the two popular movements that have developed consciousness among the people to raise voices against the ruthless destruction of forests.

5. Loss of Biodiversity

The United Nations declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity; having said the same, most people do not understand biodiversity. The last 50 years have witnessed massive human consumption growth, population, global trade, and urbanization, resulting in humanity utilizing more of the Earth’s resources than it can replenish naturally.

A WWF report recently found that the population of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians have witnessed a massive decline of an average of 68% between 1970 and 2016. The report further attributes the biodiversity loss to various factors, mainly land-use change, i.e., the conversion of habitats: like forests, grasslands and mangroves, into agricultural systems for human use. The above has resulted in pangolins, sharks and seahorses being significantly affected by the illegal wildlife trade. The animal species of pangolins are critically endangered because of it. The impact of biodiversity is immense and affects every section of human society: as a development issue: biodiversity acts as a strategic asset in maintaining sustainable development since it plays a vital role in providing food, clean water, medicines, energy and other sources of livelihood. Further, it provides secure livelihood by regulating climate, air quality, freshwater quantity and quality, and pollination services.

The leading causes for the loss of biodiversity are:

· Overexploitation of resources

· Use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and oil pollution

· Loss of natural habitat, fragmentation and its modifications

6. Plastic Pollution

While plastic has many advantages, single-use disposable plastic has severe environmental issues. Globally, around one million plastic bottles are sold and then thrown away. By the year 1950, the world produced more than 2 million tons of plastic/ year. By 2015, the annual production swelled to 419 million tons of plastic bottles.

A report by the science journal Nature: determined that 11 million tons of plastic go into the oceans every year, harming wildlife habitats and the animals that live in them. The research further found that if there is no action, it will add 29 million metric tons per year by 2040 million tons by 2040. Including microplastics to the above: the cumulative amount of plastic in the ocean could reach 600 million metric tons. A study by National Geographic found that 91% of all plastic produced is not recycled, thus representing one of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime and a massive market and economic failure. The study further states that about 12% is incinerated, while the remaining 79% has accumulated in landfills, dumps or the natural environment. If the trends like these continue, our oceans will have more plastics than fish by 2050. The situation will get grim further if the producers of plastic do not manage their wastes effectively.

Because plastic takes nearly 400 years to decompose, it will be many generations until it ceases to exist in our environment.

7. Air Pollution

According to a research study by the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 4.2 to 7 million people die from air pollution globally every year, and that nine out of ten people breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants. UNICEF pointed out that 258 000 people died in Africa due to outdoor air pollution in 2017, up from 164 000 in 1990. The poor air quality is primarily due to industrial sources, motor vehicles, and emissions from burning biomass and dust storms.

A recent report by the EU’s environment agency mentioned that in Europe, air pollution contributed to 400 000 annual deaths in 2012 (the last year for which data was available). These startling figures emphasize reducing local and regional air pollutants to decoupling emissions from economic growth and limiting people’s exposure to polluted air. It further implies implementing effective pollution prevention and control policies and sustainable transport and mobility policies. Some of these policies can be:

·To reduce the use of dirty fuels for cleaner ones, focus on cleaner industries, reduce polluting products, and adopt cleaner technologies. Behavioural and lifestyle changes are also significant to bring air pollution under control.

·To provide incentives to a spectrum of firms and consumers who intend to be more cost-efficient than those that target an inefficient product, fuel or technology (e.g. subsidies for electric cars).

.To customize policies that are designed keeping in mind the local factors of a nation. For example, stringent rules in thickly populated areas or for emission sources located in the urban areas. Such policies will help achieve environmental objectives at less cost and be more effective due to local preferences.

8. Agriculture

Agriculture has massive impacts on the ecosystems that surround it. Studies by various research agencies conclude that the global food system is responsible for nearly one-third of human-induced GHG emissions. Of these one-third emissions, thirty per cent comes from livestock and fisheries. The crop production releases GHGs such as nitrous oxide through the use of fertilizers.

Agriculture covers a significant land area, but it also consumes massive amounts of freshwater, one of the biggest environmental problems. While arable lands and grazing pastures cover nearly 1/3rd of the land area, these further consume three-quarters of the most limited resource, i.e., freshwater resources. To combat the impact of agriculture, scientists constantly argue on the need to adapt to a more plant-based diet and rethink the present food system that would dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the conventional agriculture industry.

9. Human Population

Overpopulation occurs when the number of individuals exceeds the number that the environment can sustain. Some of the possible consequences of overpopulation are environmental deterioration, impaired quality of life, and population crashes. It is a well-known fact that our planet faces severe environmental concerns due to water and air pollution. Of these multiple causes, one significant contributor to environmental challenges is population growth. In 2015 the global population was more than 7.3 billion people, more than seven billion three hundred million bodies that require all the natural resources available. The United Nations estimates that the global population will rise to approximately 9.2 billion by 2050. The impact of overpopulation on the environment leads to two significant disadvantages:

• consumption of natural resources such as land, food, water, air, fossil fuels and minerals
• Increase in waste products as a result of consumption such as air and water pollutants, toxic materials and greenhouse gases

Overpopulation leads to substantial environmental impacts ranging from land degradation, deforestation, loss of freshwater, global warming and increase in farming land, to name a few. All these aspects lead to a massive shift in environmental patterns leading to change in climatic conditions, which affects the human species significantly.

Overpopulation and the issues arising are plenty and need immediate focus to overcome. Initiatives such as switching to clean energy sources like solar, improving agricultural practices, better managing water resources, and fully embracing the circular economy’s principles will mitigate the impact of population growth. Additionally, policies such as family planning, education, gender equity, and other such measures may slow population growth and help reduce pressure on the planet.

Solutions to control Environmental Challenges

Highlighting some critical environmental issues, we must walk on the path of recovery and implement the solutions to curb environmental damage at all levels. Some of the global solutions are listed below:

1. Reduce Wastage

The most effective way to conserve the environment is to reduce wastage. One of the most efficient ways to reduce wastage is not to create the same in the first place. It is well known that creating a product involves many natural resources, so judiciously utilizing and reducing waste should be the utmost priority. It is, therefore, essential that we reuse the resources to avoid wastage at all levels. Reducing wastage and reusing natural resources are the best possible solutions to curb environmental hazards and protect the climate from changing. Some of the benefits of waste reduction and reusing the resources are as follows:

• Help in preventing pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials
• Save the energy energy
• Reduces GHG emissions that contribute to global climate change
• Help in sustaining the environment for future generations
• Save money that can be used for further environmental protection schemes
• Waste reduction help in reducing waste that needs to be recycled or sent to landfills
• It further allows products to be used at the maximum capacity

The benefits mentioned above highlight how to reuse the existing resources, thereby preventing wastage; how can we achieve zero waste is another critical criterion. Let us discuss the same:

· Donate used and old electronics, other electronic gadgets and clothes that are no more in use at the community service, which will be of great help to others

· Switch off the electricity points to cut on energy usage that different sections of the society can utilize

· Ensure to make use of rechargeable batteries so that single-use batteries and their hazardous impacts can be curbed.

· Planting more plants and trees will help to avoid concrete and also increase soil fertility. Additionally, it will also help in creating organic farms around, which in turn will reduce pollution.

· Reduce wastage by utilizing the burnt wood and adding the same into compost to add to the nutrient value of the gardens

· At home, reduce wastage by carefully stacking the tools and equipment thus, preventing them from damage

· Instead of plastics, the use of newspaper to pack stuff while travelling will reduce the plastic footprint

· Ensure making use of recyclable material for travel and packing purposes

· It is a good idea to follow the instructions regarding the disposal of a used product soo that minimum wastage is there

· Adopt a clean and green lifestyle to reduce one’s carbon footprint

· Avoid leaving any footprint behind at the places one travels (i.e., use environment-friendly products)

· Use of public transport or carpool will ensure reduced air pollution

There can still be many ways to reduce, reuse and recycle the resources and achieve the zero-wastage target.

2. Environmental Governance

Another critical solution can be a change in the government’s role in conserving and preserving environmental damage. By creating a robust governance system, a nation can safeguard its environment and human rights and achieve all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Environmental governance is essential at all global and national levels. It must be a collaborative effort soo that governments can obtain environmental information for decision-making, enhance global and regional environmental cooperation, develop and apply national and international environmental law, advance national and regional implementation of environmental objectives, and bridge significant groups and governments in policy development and implementation processes. So how does a government can help in conserving the environment:

· Protect ecosystem

Protecting and respecting is prime for any government, and governments must conserve our ecosystems. As the ecosystem heals naturally, the entire natural cycle will bounce back to ensuring environmental wellbeing and prosperity.

· Promoting Green Energy

35% of the global GHG emissions come from energy production; however, the figure may increase since development and industrialization grow with each passing year. While energies like thermoelectric and hydroelectric are considered the cheapest options, technological developments have given humankind better, cheaper, and more efficient alternatives. With proper long-term planning and well-thought-out alternatives, nations can avoid old climate-aggravating energy sources and opt for slight wind, solar, geothermal, oceanic and other projects that adapt to a place’s unique characteristics.

· Choosing Adaptation over Mitigation

In our quest to protect the environment, we must aim to reduce emissions, stop their effects, and diminish future consequences known as mitigation. It is disheartening to know that many communities are already experiencing the consequences due to changes in climate over a short period. So, it is essential to act and prevent catastrophes, increase resilience, and reduce vulnerability, also called adaptation.

Projects that aim to mitigate emissions are more attractive financially than those designed for adaptation, which focuses on the most vulnerable communities. However, it is essential to adapt the significance it deserves so that the impacts of climate change are already a grave reality for many.

· Create policies and legislations

Another necessary solution is to create policies and legislation that promote sustainable governing and achieve sustainability at every possible level of a nation. It further means that government must emphasize penalizing the defaulters at all given levels. The above steps will ensure a smooth and robust environmental governance.

3. Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Another vital aspect is creating sustainable agricultural practices that reduce the impact on the environment. For agriculture to achieve sustainability, land and water resources must be used efficiently to reduce the negative impact on the environment and ensure resilience to climate change. However, it is essential to mention that we cannot achieve global food security without preserving our ecosystems as trees and forests provide. Further, one cannot sustain forests without thinking of how we will feed a growing global population.

Recently, many nations have managed to overcome environmental challenges, particularly in the nations that fall under the OECD and have improved the use and management of nutrients, pesticides, energy and water etc. These nations have adopted more environmentally beneficial practices, such as conservation tillage, improved manure storage, or soil nutrient testing.

Sustainable agricultural practices reduce the dependence on non-renewable sources of energy, thus creating a clean and green environment that is breathable, ensures soil fertility, reduces land degradation, ensures better crops, using less water, thus achieving overall environmental sustainability. Additionally, sustainable agricultural practices help to boost biodiversity by working with Nature rather than altering her. Sustainable agricultural practices like diverse crop rotation (by not using synthetic raw material) strengthens biodiversity in the environment. Sustainable biodiversity increases ecosystem productivity and allows various species to grow and prosper.

Sustainable agriculture further leads to the nourishment of soil that is directly linked to what we consume. Sustainable agricultural practices help sequester nitrogen and carbon in the soil, which significantly boosts environmental sustainability. Further, locking the carbon in the soil reduces the carbon emissions into the atmosphere, decreasing global warming. Understanding these benefits ensures environmental sustainability by adopting agricultural practices.

After having a detailed understanding of the solutions to achieve environmental sustainability, it is further essential to know how do we achieve our sustainability target; some of the ways are:

·Educate the future of any nation, i.e., the young ones must be educated at the very elementary level about the harsh impacts of fossil fuels and how we can achieve sustainability by adopting various conservation methods.

·Another aspect would be engaging the entire community in adapting to environment conservation techniques. This process will include taking suggestions from the people who are facing the harsh climate impacts in reality. Furthermore, initiatives like leaning up the beach or a street every weekend will involve the entire community.

· Create policies and penalty mechanisms to ban plastics and aim at achieving 3R’s: Reduce, Reuse and, Recycle

There will be many ways to achieve environmental sustainability; however, we must adapt to the most effective measures per the local environments, creating an eco-friendly, sustainable, and free from hazards.

“Trapped in ‘Heatdome’, Canada and US bakes under record-smashing hot weather”-

The Times of India, June 29, 2021

“Portland and Seattle amongst many grappling with 100F-plus days in a typically moderate climate.”-

The Guardian, June 29, 2021

“Climate in Crisis. Heat Dome in Northwest a warming for Bay Area.”

NBC, BAY AREA, July 1, 2021

“Nordic Countries endure heatwave as Lapland records hottest day since 1914.”

The Guardian, July 6, 2021

“New Zealand experiences hottest June on record despite polar blast.”

The Guardian, July 5 2021

“Millions in India’s northern states sizzle in a severe heatwave.”

Aljazeera, July 2, 2021

News headlines are information pieces that we all follow closely, and in the last couple of days, headlines like the above have been the talk of the town. Many nations have been under intense heat waves, with temperatures sizzling many degrees above the normal for many days at a stretch. Temperatures in some nations have been attributed to a new term that became a buzzword called “the heat-dome”, while in other nations, it is due to rising temperatures which is a byproduct of climate change.

So what a “heat dome”, is and how does it occur that leaves dozens dead and millions suffering? How does a heat dome form, and can the nations avoid such heat domes to occur? How can an individual, state, or nation protect itself during such harsh heat domes and what is the way forward?

As an environmental enthusiast, understanding the heat dome, its impacts became essential. Scientifically, heat dome has been defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the US Department of Commerce as “a phenomenon that happens when strong, high-pressure atmospheric conditions combine with influences from LaNina (a climate pattern at the pacific), creating vast areas of sweltering heat that get trapped under the high-pressure dome.”

In simple terms, a heat-dome is a trap that completely blocks the clouds and storms and leads to exposure to intense heat rays from the sun. The hotter the temperatures, the stronger becomes the heat-dome.

It is highly well-known that human-induced climate change leads to more intense heatwaves that stay for a more extended time and occur very frequently. Additionally, it becomes increasingly clear that the pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels leading to rising temperatures has made the occurrence of “heat dome” quite an “obvious” aftermath. However, many scientists still believe that a direct correlation between climate change and the occurrence of heat domes is yet to be established.

Heat dome can become extremely brutal and can cause severe damage to humans, flora and fauna. Extreme heat destroys crops and vegetation, leading to droughts and a significant cause for wildfires leaving the human race feeling the heat of high temperatures and almost zero water supply, thus, affecting the overall existence massively.

Apart from the above devastating impacts, heat domes act as dangerous for human health. Heatstroke is one of the significant concerns that a human being can suffer from and damage the brain, internal organs, muscles if not dealt with promptly. In addition to the above, people with chronic diseases and older people are highly vulnerable to such intense heat due to heat dome.

The global economy suffers hugely due to such heat domes due to reduced productivity and loss of crops and vegetation. According to International Labour Organization, globally, the developing countries are expected to lose nearly $4.2 trillion per year by 2030, thus, creating more inequality amongst developed and developing nations. A World Bank report (2018) explains that by 2050, nearly 600 million Indians could experience loss of living standards, which could cost 2.8% of the GDP, making the efforts to pull the people out of poverty futile.

Experts explain that the heat dome lasts for almost a week, but the impacts of such a heat dome leave a lasting impact on humans and the overall environment for a relatively long time. To reduce the overall impact on one’s health, one must take the course as per the advice. However, cooling systems must be installed at the national level and conduct a national drive for afforestation to avoid such heat domes.

Though the effects are extreme and harsh, nations must note such extreme heat domes and chart a plan of action to minimize its effects in the future. Well planned and meticulously implemented strategies can control the damage to some extent. It will be ideal if the nations collaborate and function to bring down the global GHG emissions, which is the root cause of such intense heat domes and the rising global temperatures. However, creating awareness about the intense heatwaves and preparing citizens by explaining the preparations would significantly minimize national levels. Further, to reduce the surface heat, a tree or vegetation cover could be created to shade and reduce the surface from heating. Creating public halls with cool roofs would also help bring people under one roof and avoid heat stress.

These are just some of the steps, and there can be various strategies to curb the heat dome. One of the significant steps is to curb global GHG emissions, which is the root cause of all such intense heat domes and adapt to more sustainable forms of energy that reduce global warming.

Concluding, it can be summarised that intense heat waves threaten public health and are needed to be dealt with carefully and swiftly unless global leaders reduce the overall GHG emissions by imposing stricter laws and policies on individuals and organizations. With the hot days becoming hotter and frequent, it is a matter of decades when such intense heat waves would be a regular phenomenon posing a threat to people, ecosystems and the global economy, and it will be a loss that will be irreplaceable.

It is upon us to start thinking about sustainable development and act upon it to reduce future disasters or else… “IT WILL BE TOO LATE.”

Image Source: NOAA

Imagine a scenario from 2028 or 2029 where China amounts for nearly 20% of global GHG emissions. California has imposed permanent rationing on water and other resources; malaria cases have been reported amongst tourists from major European tourist destinations African continent faces severe heat waves.

Humankind is facing one of the most significant challenges of modern times. Our ways of living have led to the industrial revolution boom but have damaged the ecosystem to a great extent. Today, the damage has reached an extent where the loss is irreparable and irreversible. With the current knowledge of climate science, it is a grim situation that the world is facing and will significantly impact the “doing good business” significantly.

Climate change will directly impact companies, i.e., on the infrastructure, investments, procurements, to name a few. As legislation becomes comprehensive and voters become aware of the problem, the government will respond to the consequences of weather change and the costs of adaptive policies. Though the law and the regulatory framework for the companies to operate, it is the political will and the swiftness to implement such laws to bring the desired changes.

Organizations must create a robust legal base and collaborate with the political leadership to bring the laws that help in curbing GHG emissions. In this regard, it is not surprising that the company’s approach to climate change will go beyond operational effectiveness, becoming more strategic.

If the government achieve its commitments, there will be a domino effect as expectations of entrepreneurship, investors “diligence on the risks of climate change, and the role of state and local authorities change. Climate change-related issues will also arise in company law concerning the disclosure of risks related to climate change.

Companies “willingness to disclose climate change-related management activities and greenhouse gas emissions have increased dramatically in recent years. Shareholders have become aware and demand to adopt transparency and action on the effects of climate change on companies and organizations, on GHG emissions. Although it is difficult to determine how much a company should disclose, it is clear that many companies do not intend to disclose the risks of climate change.

When companies talk about the risks of climate change, it is very vague and incomplete, thus, making it difficult for the investors to seek a severe assessment of the risks of changing climate. If companies believe climate change in one part of the world will have less impact than another nation or continent, they will likely underestimate the risks they face in their global supply chains and markets.

Companies in the energy, transport, agriculture and forestry sectors are particularly vulnerable. They may face increased pressure to disclose how they view and deal with the impact of climate change on their business models and value chains. The act of disclosure can help companies identify and mitigate the risks of climate change.

The consequences of climate change and environmental constraints are not limited to adverse effects on a company’s financial profile. At the same time, an aggressive climate policy enforced by government bodies at the international level to combat climate change from an economic point of view is likely to be the best deal in the long run. Businesses should try to avoid politicizing their business concerning climate change, but they must support policies and policymakers committed to reducing emissions.

For both humanitarian and business reasons, companies of all sizes must take action. Companies can take a position by assessing emissions, developing climate action plans, setting emission reduction targets, measuring progress and supporting measures that advance climate protection. While many companies view climate change as a matter of corporate social responsibility, business leaders must approach climate change as a business decision and focus on strategic threats and opportunities. We conclude that climate change is an emerging problem and that businesses and the public health community need to work together to lead. Although individual managers may disagree about the immediate and significant impact of the problem, companies must act.

Voluntary emission reductions are more important than public policies to achieve the pace and scale of reductions needed to limit the worst effects of climate change. By taking the lead in helping regions anticipate and mitigate climate change risks, businesses can advance their interests and build goodwill toward the communities where they operate. In addition, companies taking the lead in climate change over the next 20 years will reduce emissions and gain credibility amongst employees, customers, and suppliers and set up a path to corporate leadership.

Climate change is on the global agenda, prompting politicians and business leaders around the world to act. Unfortunately, it hampers efforts by companies and governments to reduce CO2 emissions while their prices rise. Climate change will damage economies, destroy populations, increase resource scarcity, and impact the cost of doing business.

In the end, companies should be ready to respond to the changing regulatory landscape and the effects it has on potential climate change laws. As the scope of the new area emerges, companies may face legal challenges related to the transition to a lower-carbon global economy. The pressure created by climate change law and awareness towards the same, regardless of its success or failure, may affect the operating environment. A growing body of jurisdiction can drive policy changes that facilitate disclosure. It might result in climate-related data held by governments and corporations regarding climate change becoming publicly available and potentially driving climate-related claims.

To dampen the climate change impacts, the companies must initiate climate awareness campaigns in collaboration with the national and international climate agencies. Involving media in spreading an important climate change and its impacts message will enhance the awareness levels amongst the public. Highlighting the launch of a subsidy programme by the company or creating a green source of energy in a local town or initiating a local coastal cleaning drive, or adopting new green technology for new manufacturing line can be some of the initiatives that the companies can highlight can spread a word about and raise the awareness level. Involving the nation’s youth in building an image of corporate sustainability leaders and conducting various activities that spread the message of adopting sustainable living standards will further enhance the awareness levels. Furthermore, brainstorming about implementing the laws that may strengthen implementing climate change laws and discussing the same amongst the public will strengthen the climate awareness campaign.

Despite the difficulties and mixed success of climate change law to date, this global trend is pushing boundaries, prompting policy and behavioural change, and creating a growing body of precedent worldwide. Claimants are bringing novel and creative legal arguments, and, in some cases, courts are demonstrating a willingness to take creative approaches to these issues.

“Just as we caused the climate crises, the bio-diversity crises, and the pollution crises, we can reverse the damage that we have done; we can be the first generation to reimagine, to recreate and to restore nature to kickstart action for a better world.”

Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP

The Bonn Challenge Declaration and the United Nations Declaration of 2021-30 as the “Decade of Ecosystem Restoration at the forefront of the world’s biodiversity and climate change agendas. The Bonn Challenge launched by the Government of Germany and the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN in 2011 has set a significant target of restoring over 350 million hectares of endangered terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by 2030.

Globally, according to UNEP, the 350-million-hectare restoration initiative is expected to create ecosystem services worth $9 trillion and reduce 13-26 gigatons of atmospheric GHG by 2030. The economic returns are estimated to be nine times the investment cost.

Ecological restoration aims to initiate and accelerate the recovery of the ecosystem after damage, degradation and destruction. It aims to restore self-organizing ecosystems on a path of full recovery. The restoration of the ecosystem intends to help restore destroyed or damaged ecosystems and preserve intact ecosystems. Restorers do not carry out the actual work of restoring the ecosystem. Restoring the ecosystem is an essential contribution to the application of the ecosystem approach. Healthy ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and offer great benefits such as fertile soils, higher yields of timber and fish, and more significant greenhouse gas reserves.

According to the standards and disciplines defined, the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) guidelines for developing and managing ecological renaturation projects describe procedures for implementing ecological renaturation. The SER brooch is a concise explanation of restoration principles, including the cited definitions of restoration, the way restoration plans are carried out and evaluated, the integration of the restoration with related disciplines.

The Society for Ecological Restoration defines ecological restoration as “the deliberate activity of initiating and accelerating the recovery of ecosystems concerning the ecosystem’s health, integrity, and sustainability”.

In the repair and restoration of ecosystems, restorers apply concepts from the field of ecology. Ecological restoration focuses on repairing the damage that human activities have done to natural ecosystems, attempting to restore them to an earlier state, or a state that is closely related to a state that remains unchanged through human activities. It differs from the nature conservation practice, which is to prevent further loss of ecosystems.

Ecological restoration is restoring habitat and ecosystem functions by restoring land and water on which plants and animals depend. Restoration is a corrective step that includes eliminating or changing the causes of ecological degradation and restoring natural processes (e.g. Natural fires, floods, predator-prey relationships) that sustain and renew ecosystems over time.

Intransigent defences against ecosystems, strict conservation and effective recovery strategies are essential to address the extinction crisis. Given that only a few ecosystems on Earth are unaffected by human activity, their restoration promises to contain the biodiversity crisis and ensure that ecosystem services are provided to humanity. However, few studies document the recovery of ecosystems or the speed at which they recover.

Ecosystems and their biodiversity support economic growth, sustainable development, and human well-being and restoration have become essential strategies to increase ecosystem services and reverse biodiversity loss. Due to anthropogenic and natural impacts, the pace of ecosystem destruction is rapid, and billions of dollars are spent annually to restore damaged ecosystems.

Ecological restoration is the human facilitation of the repair of damaged or destroyed ecosystems. Restoring environments can take years to work without human intervention and may never be the same as their intact predecessors, but restoration remains an integral part of the conservation toolbox.

Many restoration projects seek to establish ecosystems from native species, while other projects seek to restore, improve or create certain ecosystem functions such as pollination or erosion control. Whereas nature conservation biology, due to its importance and popularity, focuses on vertebrates (animals), restoration ecology focuses primarily on plants. Since the renaturation ecology focuses on plants, renaturation projects often begin with the formation of plant communities.

For example, the passive recovery of grassland from agriculture is not comparable to the active restoration of forests from agriculture. We could not determine that active recovery accelerates or achieves full recovery, even in some studies that compared recovery with passive recovery in a single place after the same disturbance. The new study recognizes that the restoration of the ecosystem must consider the needs of the people living in the remaining areas.

In reality, the restoration will not restore a complete collection of native species to the full extent of ecosystems’ original structure and function. Restoration can help us achieve Sustainable Development Goals. While we can restore biodiversity, structure, and function to damaged ecosystems, ecological restoration is no substitute for conservation, and the promise of restoration can be used to justify the destruction of unsustainable uses.

The ecology of restoration is the scientific investigation and support of the practice of ecological restoration – the practice of the renewal and restoration of damaged, damaged or destroyed ecosystems, habitats and environments through active human intervention and action. Effective restoration requires an explicit objective or a clear policy that is formulated, accepted and codified.

Every year on June 5, World Environment Day marks the official start of the United Nations Decade to Restore the Ecosystem, a 10-year effort to halt and reverse the decline of the natural world. Restoring forests and ecosystems means reforestation in order to reduce the pressure on forest trees to grow again. Rethinking the way people grow and consume food can also help reduce the pressure on forests.

When healthy natural ecosystems are destroyed, vast amounts of carbon enter the atmosphere. So the first thing to do is stop the gradual destruction of the ecosystem, adds co-author Thomas Brooks, chief scientist of the International Union for Nature Conservation.

At many places, students work to restore ecosystems that have been damaged, damaged or destroyed. A group of landowners in Austria is learning how the climate and ecosystem benefit from tree plantings’ return to the natural cycle of forest growth. The study concluded that complete restoration is 1.3 times more cost-effective if it occurs in high-priority locations than opportunistic approaches. Additionally, the researchers also looked at how to ensure that restoration of the ecosystem does not reduce food production. They found that more than half of the land converted into arable and pasture land could be converted back into a natural ecosystem without affecting food supplies.

Adopting eco-friendly behaviour is the need of the hour to protect our environment. People can usher in small changes in daily practices without dramatically affecting lifestyles, exhibiting a greater preference for clean and green spaces, healthy surroundings, fresh air, clean water, landscaping, recycling waste materials – anything that conserves energy and fosters a healthy link between the human population and nature.

Businesses have a critical role in responding to environmental protection by integrating a precise action plan into their growth strategies. Equitable growth is all about balancing aspects of people, planet and profits – the anchors on which a sustainable and resilient economy gets constructed… Now is the time to integrate sustainability even while being digital, which can take us closer to a green digital economy and restore our ecosystems.

According to a UN study, ecosystem degradation is already affecting the well-being of at least 3.2 billion people – 40% of the world’s population. The World Environment Day 2021 campaign – “Recreate, Reimagine, Restore” – focuses on reversing the degradation of our ecosystems. The future is now, and we need to act fast.

The steady technological progress of the modern world has made the lives of humans more accessible and more uncomplicated. However, while environmental protection and sustainability have earned the interest of many organizations, achieving the said sustainability is still a very recent and widely discussed subject amongst the industry experts irrespective of the industry they operate.

According to the Zero Waste International Alliance, zero waste is an ethical, economical, efficient and visionary goal that encourages people across spectrums to modify their lifestyles to become more sustainable and adopt more and more natural cycles where the discarded materials become a resource for other finished goods.

There are numerous ways in which waste management can become a strategic part of overall business workings—saving the companies from costs of waste management, avoiding the regulatory disposal complications associated with discarding the waste has level to growing awareness towards Waste Minimization or Source Reduction. Waste Minimization refers to a collective strategy for designing and manufacturing products and services that minimize the amount of waste generated and reduce the resulting waste’s toxicity.

Industry can reduce waste by reusing materials, using less hazardous substitutes, modifying components, and making processing more efficient. However, although there is extensive information available on the waste recycling strategies, the impact of the same on economic cost-benefit analysis has not been recorded much.

Waste is a crucial coalition to work with, not because the landfills are the largest artificial source of methane emissions, but the open incineration of waste and the diesel vehicles that collect and transport waste emit dangerous pollutants that have a hazardous collective impact on humans and the environment. Industrial waste management is an expensive concept and requires planning and execution and a practical and robust regulatory mechanism to achieve the desired amount of sustainability in the economy.

CCAC (The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants) works with cities worldwide to help them implement sustainable waste management systems focused on reducing methane emissions. In addition, sustainable cycles can be achieved by increasing the proportion of reused and recycled waste.

The sustainable cycles save material and energy and reduce hazardous chemicals and environmental problems in waste management. One aspect of this work focuses on chemicals that will reduce waste, improve the sustainable recycling of waste resources, and address environmental issues.

In recognition of a hierarchy in waste management, preferences consist of prevention, minimization, recycling, reuse, biological treatment, incineration, landfill, and disposal. Sweden regards waste management as a good starting point for achieving sustainable waste management and has a perspective on the areas where waste is needed and achieves sustainable waste management. According to a hierarchy of different treatment methods, various measures to reduce waste are managed in the waste stream.

Composting is the most widely used disposal and treatment method for controlling the aerobic decomposition of organic waste through the action of small invertebrates and microorganisms. Many municipalities practice this method because it offers a cost-effective solution for the disposal of solid waste. An ideal alternative to waste management is to prevent the generation of waste in the first place.

Not all waste disposal means that valuable resources and energy are thrown away, and biodegradable waste is released into landfills. Waste from waste management is any substance or object that has been thrown away and classified as non-hazardous waste, such as packaging waste, hazardous waste or chemical waste.

Solutions such as converting waste into resources that contribute to energy and raw materials must be adopted if the world wants to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) to provide clean, affordable energy by 2030. A staggering half of waste is not properly collected, treated or disposed of, causes the global waste crisis. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations in 2015 can be achieved when waste management becomes a priority.

Large amounts of mining, processing and industrial waste are produced daily worldwide. For example, vast quantities of phosphorus gypsum are produced every year in the production of fertilizers. Plastic waste, which now accounts for 25% of municipal waste, poses a challenge in the face of increasing global plastic production and consumption due to increasing population development, industrialization and lifestyle changes.

Waste management has become a critical business issue for small businesses in recent years. Waste management is defined as collecting, transporting, processing, recycling, and monitoring waste produced by humans. Continuous efforts are being made to reduce their impact on environmental health and extract resources from them.

Sustainable waste management is an ideal opportunity to work in partnership with the rich and poor, formal and informal communities, businesses, governments and the international community. Waste management attracts millennium entrepreneurs and industry heavyweights and offers excellent opportunities for science, technology, engineering, humanities and economics, as it is a powerful catalyst for economic growth. The formal waste management sector, which employs more than 20 million people worldwide, is currently a haven of inspiration and innovation.

However, the development opens up and advances economies, creates new wealth, and ushers many people to a healthier lifestyle; millions struggle to make meaning of the darker side of development that is not environmentally sustainable. Education for sustainable growth must be mandatory for all, as it represents the primary source for catalyzing the cultural changes necessary for continued subsistence.

An increasing number of companies have started to act and communicate based on their triple performance in economics and environmental and social factors. Building sustainable firms and organizations also require a commitment to people’s development. The relationship between economic development, environmental management, and human health is a complicated process affecting the quality and sustainability of our society. There is a rising comprehension that a synchronized approach is necessary to solve the significant environmental and sustainability problems facing the developing and developed regions of the world.

“Wine does not come in plastic; Wine Understands.”

Good wine is one of life’s greatest pleasures; whether a novice or a connoisseur, enjoying a glass of wine can be a sublime experience. To appreciate wine as something more than a drink, one needs a conscious, deliberate awareness since it is a very personal endeavour. Response of experimenting with a glass of wine is as individual as fingerprints. An aroma or flavour that is pleasing to many may not be pleasing to others. The trick is translating preferences into words.

So, how do we begin? Let us begin a quest for wine knowledge while entering a whole new world. It is a world of understanding the wine, the industry from where and how it started, and it is presently.

Wine has been produced for thousands of years, with evidence of ancient wine production in Georgia (C. 6000 B.C.), China (C. 7000 B.C.), Iran from 5000 B.C. and Sicily from 4000 B.C. Wine production and consumption increased, burgeoning from the 15th century onwards as part of the European Expansion. Fifty years later, a few European countries in western Europe accounted for all exports of wine and almost all of its production and consumption. The scenario has changed dramatically, and now almost all the continents have major wine-producing and consuming countries.

The dramatic change has been chiefly science and technology-driven, giving rise to new nations becoming the winemakers. The change can also be attributed to the economies associated with the wine industry. All these factors have led to magnitude shifts in the consumption and production of wine across the globe. Wine being an alcoholic drink primarily made from grapes, the archaeological evidence of winemaking cannot be precisely established since the presence of fruits does not indicate the exact implication of wine production. However, the two main methods of identifying winemaking, widely accepted by the researchers, are the presence of domesticated stocks and evidence of grapes processing.

Until the 20th century, wines were fermented with yeast and the entire process relied on naturally occurring yeasts. The wine fermentation led to inconsistent results, and since the process took a long time to complete, the chances of spoilage also increased vastly. Amongst many, the most significant advances in winemaking were the introduction of pure starter strains of Mediterranean Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commonly known as brewer’s yeast) by the 1960s. Since then, commercial wine fermentation has included these S. cerevisiae strains, which has led to multiple wine yeast starters cultures across the globe. Another game-changing innovation was the introduction of screw-cap tops and synthetic corks. These new-age bottles hugely challenged the traditional natural cork and made a significant impact on 20th-century winemaking.

With the onset of the 21st century, another exciting innovation came, i.e., a process termed micro-oxygenation (in the trade known as “MOX”) that reduces some risks associated with the ageing of red wine due to traditional methods. Apart from the “mox process”, DNA sequencing has been a recent trend that enabled the researchers to trace the spread of S. Cerevisiae in commercial wines providing the possibility for improved wines in the future.

Despite all the technological and scientific innovations, winemaking and wine consumption invoke images of luxurious slow life with bucolic landscapes. Saying so, it is a significant business sector with a mix of ancient markets that serve as a home to some of the finest ancient wines along with modern-day markets that are developed in recent history with the increase in scientific innovations and consumption patterns. The most established wine markets in Europe (namely Portugal, Italy, France) have their per capita consumption at over 35 litres/ person per year compared to Australia with 23.9, the US 9.9 and just 3.5 litres per person per year in China. The largest aggregate wine markets are the USA, China and France due to population numbers.

The biggest wine importers are Germany, the USA and the United Kingdom since wine consumption depicts a luxurious lifestyle where consumers of the developed economies look forward to new tastes and experiences. Premiumization has become the new buzzword for wine consumers, thereby attracting long-term revenue from the world.

Despite all the history of winemaking, modern-day winemaking is a highly industrialized sector that is outgrowing its consumption numbers with each passing decade. Being a highly industrialized market, the present-day winemaking market has its own set of constraints and drivers to succeed in the years to come. Let us take a look at some of these:

Winemaking Market Drivers

Wine consumption has witnessed rapid development in the past few decades, where consuming a glass of wine has become a sign of social status, supporting the growth of low alcoholic beverages in the market. Moreover, with an increase in demand amongst the millennials, owing to its refreshing appeal and ABV offerings, the wine manufacturers are encouraged to launch and innovate products, ensuring market growth.

Another key driver to the growth of the wine industry is the emergence and rapid growth in the e-commerce sector. Apart from purchasing from specialized stores, buying alcohol from e-commerce sources has picked up as a trend, and according to the industry sources, the trend is here to stay.s

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Netherlands, online sales in developed nations like Europe and North America are expected to grow by approximately 15% annually. Focussing on the trend, manufacturers are developing new e-commerce platforms to expand their sales in the market. The report by the ministry further explained that with an improvement in the distribution network and technical advancements, the e-commerce sector could further bolster growth in the future.

Winemaking Market Restraints

With the upward trend comes the downward trend, and the same applies to all market sectors. One of the significant restrictions in the wine industry is introducing new alcoholic beverages, making the consumer shift to a new format. The above trend can halt the consumption of wine and reduce its market share considerably compared to other alcoholic beverages.

Another constraint can be the tariffs imposed upon by the importing countries, thereby increasing the cost of a wine bottle. These tariffs can be expressed as: “ad valorem“, with one rate or different rates according to the price level of the product; specific volume-based tariffs (per litre); specific alcohol-based (alcohol strength); a mix of ad valorem and specific.

Apart from tariff trade barriers, non-tariff barriers refer to a broad and heterogeneous range of policy interventions. These non-tariff barriers are other than border tariffs that affect and distort trade in goods, services, and production factors. These include technical barriers to trade which the WTO has regulated through two agreements (Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement) based on shared principles of harmonization, equivalence and mutual recognition. Implementation of such WTO regulations has given rise to some critical issues and has not proved effective at preventing such technical barriers.

Global Wine Market

The global wine market is expected to reach a healthy CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 7.1% in the forecast period between 2019-2026. The latest report available for the wine market contains data for historic years 2017, the base year of calculation as 2018 and the forecast period of 2019-2026.

The wine market is segmented, and the growth of the industry is based on various segments. To understand the global wine market, let us give a closer look at each of the segments:

a. Based on the type of wine

The sector can be divided into still wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine and others. In 2019, the still wine segment was expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% in the forecast period of 2019-2026. However, it is the sparkling wine segment that grew by 8.0% for the same forecast period.

b. Based on Color

Red wine primarily dominates the segment, closely followed by white wine, rose wine and others. In 2019, the red wine segment grew at a CAGR of 7.30% for the forecast period of 2019-2026. However, the white wine had the edge over the red wine for the same period and grew at a CAGR value of 7.33% for the same forecast period.

c. Based on product type

The market is segmented between flavoured and unflavored wines. In 2019, the unflavored segment was expected to grow at the CAGR of 7.49% in the forecast period of 2019-2026. The growth has been the highest recorded growth for the segment.

d. Based on packaging type

Bottles, cans and others categorize the segment. The bottling segment can be sub-segmented as the plastic bottles and the glass bottles. The bottling segment being a pioneer, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% in the forecast period of 2019-2026. However, an interesting observation that gained huge interest was that the canned segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR of 7.9% for the same forecast period.

e. Based on Body Type

High, medium and full-bodied wines ornament the segment. In 2019, the full-bodied segment was expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% in the forecast period of 2019-2026.

f. Distribution Channel

The market under the segment is labelled as on-trade and off-trade distribution channels. The on-trade segment is further sub-segmented as the speciality stores, online retailers and others. In 2019, the off-trade segment was expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% in the forecast period of 2019-2026.

Due to the health benefits, people globally prefer wine consumption, and the production is ever-increasing in the present century. With the lifestyle changes, wine is being consumed more (being an elite drink) in comparison to other beverages. If wine consumption and production maintain the pace at which it is growing presently, the industry has a bright future. However, it is essential to mention here that globalization has brought many changes in the production of wine and its distribution networks. Some of the changes can be:

· cost of producing wine (which is considered a barrier) in increasing the overall sales of wine.

· Set of regulations that have become stricter by the year. These regulations are in the form of market intervention, rules concerning marketing and production, trade with other countries and the level of competition.

All these factors pose a heavy understanding of entering into an international market, making it even more challenging to capture the desired results.

With multiple benefits coupled with few disadvantages, wine and wine production remain the most elite form of alcoholic beverage. It is still amongst the essential agricultural activities around the world. So, how does wine production gets impacted due to global warming? How does wine become sustainable to minimize the use of crucial natural resources?

Let us understand the first phase, i.e., how global warming impacts wine and wine production globally?

Global Warming and Wine Industry

For most of the wine-growing regions, impacts of climate change can be seen and felt, resulting in significant shifts in sustainable viticultural development and production for the decades to come. Severe changes in the weather have destroyed the vineyards, where wine grapes are highly susceptible to changes in the climate. The production of wine is vulnerable to climate change, from the tangible health of wines to the taste and quality of the finished bottles created.

According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), up to 56% of current wine-growing lands may no longer be suitable for vineyards if the planet warms up by two-degree celsius. The figure could climb manifolds is by 85% when the temperature increases by four-degree celsius. The study used historical data for eleven grape varieties to create the model. According to the same study, cooler regions such as New Zealand, the Pacific Northwest and Germany would remain relatively unaffected by the changes in the climate. The winemaking industry has been hit very hard as its core ingredient, i.e., the grapes behave somewhat finicky with the hotter temperatures. The hot temperatures produce overripe grapes, which in turn wines that tastes strangely than what it must taste like, and the changes are only to intensify in the future.

Climate Change will lead to economic impacts at different levels of the wine industry, and the changes in flavour, composition, and yield could bring harsh impacts on the farmer’s income due to irregular crop production. Additionally, it will impact the value associated with the vineyards as competition for growing grapes would be higher in many different regions. With a geographical shift and a possible redistribution of the regions favourable for growing wines, competition might increase between regions and markets. With all these problems associated with the increase of global temperatures, the policymakers must move ahead and take concrete steps to curb the rise in temperature so that the global wine industry is saved from destruction and extinction both at the same time.

Additionally, the winemakers must also embrace green and sustainable technology to stay relevant in the present scenario. In this context, embracing solar energy, zero-carbon footprints, and adopting sustainable ways of living have become the need of the hour and can be called the irreplaceable measures in the decades to come.

So, before we understand how we can adapt to climate change by adopting sustainable ways of winemaking, we must spare some of our thoughts in understanding what sustainable wine-growing is?

Sustainable Wine-Growing

Sustainable wine grape growing is about calculating the costs involved in growing grapes and how it is sold to adopt sustainable farming methods to achieve the desired results. In other words, in order to restrict the impact of climate change and also adapt to practices like cover-cropping, compost addition, use of organic or synthetic fertilizers, choosing amongst the pesticides, mowing vs sheep grazing, management of hedgerows for bio-diversity and so forth to achieve environmental sustainability and economic profitability.

It is vital to understand that to achieve higher prices for the crop, vineyards must adopt all the practices mentioned above. However, it is ironic that these sustainable practices can only be adopted when the farmers receive a fair price for their crop.

Sustainable wine-growing is all about adapting to weather conditions and yet producing premium wines. The recent trend has suggested that many vineyards have shifted polewards to restore the grape quality and maintain a healthy ecosystem to achieve sustainability at the production stage. As per a study (Kay, 2006), the USA could lose 81% of its premium wine grape acreage by 2100, and to restore the quality of the grapes and subsequently of the vineyards, efforts must be made in collaboration with both the government and the farmers that vineyards are converted into more heat-resistant ones along with sowing of hybrid variety of grapes that are adaptive to climate change. Both those mentioned above will ensure a high amount of sustainability at the production stage.

Sustainable wine-growing can happen once we understand how climate change is impacting vineyards and grape production. It is easier said than done, but to achieve high levels of sustainability, we must study the impact of rising temperatures in an in-depth manner. The factors on which the impact of climate change can be felt are:

1. According to a study done to study the impact of climate change, a rise in temperatures coupled with rising CO2 levels along with a shift in the humidity may increase the biomass, increased sugar (thus alcohol), and a decrease in acid levels leading to a significant impact on grape aroma and flavour change resulting to a significant shift in grape chemistry. The above will ultimately impact the industry at a substantial level.

2. Another global warming impact is the rise of sea levels which will ultimately inundate some of the most outstanding vineyards and wine-producing regions with floods. In addition to these, more inland vineyards may face highlighting levels of salinity in groundwater which affect wine growth. The sea-level rise will lead to the fear of earthquake that can spoil the vineyards completely.

3. Another negative impact that is important to mention is the rise in insects and insect-borne diseases as their temperature limits movement to polewards. These humidity borne insects may pose severe threats to more poleward resisting vineyards as the climate changes.

4. Changes to weather patterns and CO2 levels may affect the development and quality of OAK, the primary wood use to age wine in a barrel. The above would mean that when subject to increased CO2, it may result in an overall quality wine barrel by lessening the tannins released into the finished wine.

With the severe and adverse effects on wine production and the overall industrial damage due to climate change, it becomes mandatory that the global wine industry adapts to the global rise in temperature by adopting solutions. These solutions can be categorized as suggestions to the vineyards and suggestions to the winemakers. Let us take a closer look:

Suggestions for the Vineyards

i. To combat the rise in global greenhouse gases and temperatures, the vineyards must consider improving the soil-water balance through a change in canopy management to provide shade to reduce sugar and increase acids.

ii. Vineyards must consider nighttime harvesting and quicker delivery of the barriers to assure cooler berry temperature and avoid spoilage.

iii. Vineyards must consider introducing water cover crops in areas capable of supporting that are equipped to support such crops so that soil erosion is minimal and water and nutrient storage gets maximized.

iv. Vineyards must increase their usage of recycled water and create ways and means to reuse the water to practice water conservation at the highest level.

v. Vineyards also must focus on soil-water balance by adopting the following measures:

· Adopting effective irrigation delivery via drip-irrigation

· Enhanced soil structure/ composition (for water retention and nutrient load)

· Ensure effective erosion control and nutrient storage through the use of cover crops

· Reducing evapotranspiration by employing less frequent tilling and cultivation

These steps will balance the reduced water supply (Source: the impact of climate change on global wine industry- (ScienceDirect, 10th August 2014)

vi. Vineyards should also consider deficit irrigation strategies to offset the reduced water supply and promote optimal grape maturity and wine quality.

vii. The vineyards must ensure heat and light abrading cultural practices to offset the heat, drought, and light intensity in the vineyard and adjust and maintain berry and wine quality.

viii. Improvement in the cooling techniques can be another method to offset the impact of heat

ix. Vineyards can consider markedly increasing the wine crop load. The delay caused due to the technique mentioned will lead to the onset of fruit maturation

x. Vineyards should also consider grafting over a complete vineyard reinstallation to grapes that are more closely adaptable to the environment. The strategy ensures combating the impacts of climate change by a vineyard.

xi. To control the impact of increased sunlight, the vineyards must consider training techniques and row orientation.

xii. Integrated Pests Management (IPM) is recommended to offset the increase in pests. The technique will ultimately ensure climate management by less dependence on agrochemicals, thus, controlling chemical emissions due to decomposition.

Suggestions for Winemakers

In addition to the above measures, the winemakers can also adopt the following measures:

· Installing cooling equipment in the winery to offset the impact of warming temperatures, ensuring completed primary and malolactic fermentation

· Reinspection of cellular hygiene practices along with the use of antimicrobials and antioxidants to reduce the impact of warm temperatures

· Alcohol-tolerant yeast can be used to control the effect of higher sugar and alcohol levels

· Install sugar reducing techniques within the winery to curb the higher sugar levels

· Acidification in the winery can help reducing acidity and promote microbial stability

· New blending techniques such as blending wines from different terroirs and regions to offset the vintage variability must be adopted

· Leaving the white wine longer on their lees to conserve fruit-aroma compounds and protect them from oxidation must be considered to reduce acidic levels and stop early harvesting

· Scheduling harvesting to offset the early onset of ripening of fruit

· Renewable sources instead of the burning of fossil fuels must be incorporated

· To maintain operational viability and competitiveness, a system of “planned change” must be introduced

By understanding the ways that can be adopted to reduce the harsh climate impacts on the vineyards and the overall wine production, wineries can aim at becoming sustainable in every possible way, i.e., achieving the long-term vision of attaining economic viability and reducing environmental unsustainability.

“Sustainability is the need of the hour.” Every industry must aim to achieve sustainability at the lowest level of its value chain to attain the global target of net-zero emissions.

So, how does the wine industry is preparing itself to be environmentally sustainable and economically profitable both at the same time? Let us understand:

Sustainability and Wine Industry

We all know that sustainability and the environment have been increasingly gaining momentum, and the wine producers hope to build commercial success around sustainability and environmentally friendly wines. To review the progress made in the direction of sustainable winemaking, it is necessary to refer to the work done by various international agencies, namely the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) and the International Federation of Wine Spirits. Most of the wine-producing countries are a part of either both or at least one of these organizations. The joint efforts of these two organizations have led to the development of two major guidelines:

a) Guidelines for Sustainable vitiviniculture (production, processing and packaging of products)

b) The Global Wine Sector Sustainability Principles Project

The guidelines for sustainable viticulture are that the triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social sustainability should be promoted by implementing appropriate environment sustainable programs applied to production, transformation, warehousing and packaging. Identification of these environmentally sustainable activities must be based on risk assessment of the environment, and priority should be given to unique risks in individual geographical regions where the vineyards are located.

As per the OIV guidelines, the risks can be assessed based on on-site selections (of the vineyards), bio-diversity, variety selection (for new vineyards), solid waste management, and agrochemical use. Additionally, the Global Wine Sector Sustainability project guidelines consider carbon accounting, transportation and fossil fuels. Moreover, promoting awareness through educational opportunities and partnerships with stakeholders can strategically support action to improve sector sustainability.

As per the guidelines, it becomes essential that the implementation process is smooth and collaborative. With multiple ways and means available for sustainable implementation in the wine industry, careful analysis and detailed research marks implementing these measures. Some of these measures are:

Amongst the non-conventional production and transformation practices, methods that minimize the negative impact of agricultural and food production: two primary standards are organic and biodynamic. In this regard, for wine, as for food, there exists a variety of country-specific regulations, certifications, logos, and schemes. The essential requirement at this stage for organic winemaking is the use of organically grown grapes. However, the definition of organically grown grapes differs from country to country based on the use and non-use of preservatives during the production process. The difference in regulations represent the importance of non-tariff barriers to international trade and hinder growth in organic and bio-dynamic exports.

It is necessary to mention here that the European Union recently (the year 2012) approved an organic winemaking regulation, while viticulture has been regulated since 1991.

There must be a fair trade based on economic, environmental and social standards in all business forms. In this regard, wineries must create environmental friendly viticulture, protect ecosystems and their workers’ health to achieve sustainability at the lowest possible levels. It is interesting to note that globally, nearly 21 million litres of wine were sold via fair trade practices in 2013, which was 27% above what was sold in 2012.

The above sustainable practices can be achieved by introducing and adapting to various wine-growing programs that enhance the sustainability efforts of the individual winemakers and the wine-growing areas. These sustainable programs can be in the form of education and training to the wine producers and their workers to achieve continuous improvements in sustainability efforts. However, achieving the above-said sustainability can be crucial since resources are scarce, and efforts in the direction of incorporating sustainability as an important part of carrying out business activities are limited.

Christ and Burritt conducted a detailed analysis in the mentioned regard and summarised these said limitations as follows (in the words of the authors itself):

a. Water usage and management have been crucial since the wineries do not have the data to control the usage of water and identify the process responsible for wastewaters. With a view regarding resource availability in various regions, water usage in the wineries is optimal and fall short of best practices.

b. Solid-waste management is another factor during the winemaking process. The waste is either organic waste or inorganic waste. Organic waste does have a reuse market; however, the inorganic waste (i.e. packing materials, chemical containers, landfills and incineration, and more.) does not have a beneficial environmental impact and lack reuse and recycle.

c. Energy use and the emissions from the GHG is another aspect that needs to addressed immediately as a large amount of energy is consumed in winemaking generating significant gases. The use of fertilizers at the vineyard level is low on emission levels; choosing and adopting ecological transportation options at the bottling stage and consuming recycled bottles are ways to curb the harmful gas emissions.

d. Vineyards in many countries have shifted towards the northern pole to get an environment conducive for wine growth, resulting in deforestation and hydro-ecological imbalance. This has made the land usage and impacts arising from the excessive usage prone to environmental imbalance.

The above can be stated as some fundamental ways to adopt sustainability at various levels. However, the path to achieving the said sustainability is challenging and long-drawn; adopting such practices will give the wineries and the winemakers an edge over the other competitors. Adapting to these practices can help them gain a competitive edge, create differentiation (in techniques/ practices/ management processes), build brand reputation and public image, improve the quality of their product, lower their legal regulations, and achieve greater operational efficiency and achieve overall economic profitability.

CONCLUSION

The wine industry worldwide operates in different natural and social contexts; thus, the one-model-fits-all approach to implementing three dimensions of sustainability (environment, social and economic) is not realistic. The competition amongst companies and the countries for a market share of wine production is fierce and ever-growing.

As consumers become more aware of the vulnerable global environment, demand for eco-friendly agricultural products and practices is continuously increasing. The future wine producer would be perceived as the conscious environmental steward and adopts all necessary steps and practices. Overall, the industry is on its path of adopting environmental friendly measures and is taking initiatives on war footing to curb soil erosion and pesticides on the overall environment.

Lastly, as we learn the basic biology of human perception and flavour preferences, wines will become more targeted to the generic differences of the consumers. Consumer olfactory profiling will be standard and used to guide production decisions and the marketing of wines. Additionally, the industry must play a proactive role in promoting sound and sustainable stewardship, as it will be a decisive motivational factor for wines.

The need of the hour is to act promptly and responsive to achieve sustainability and control the impact of climate change.

Let us hope we achieve it fast…..

Every year, since 2001, a not-for-profit body called CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) sends a questionnaire to multiple organizations in various nations seeking information on how they measure and mitigate their environmental impact and carbon footprint. Globally, over 8400 companies disclosed information through CDP in 2019.

In INDIA, the activity began in 2012, and in 2019, CDP India sent questionnaires to the top 200 listed company’s (in terms of market capitalization). Disappointingly, only 59 companies responded. However, the CDP India was ecstatic about the number since it was up by 13 companies last year.

Climate change is no longer an abstract notion, and it is one of the top issues for policymakers, investors and CEO. Acting on climate change is not just political leadership, but it also defines business leadership in today’s carbon-constraint world. An ambitious carbon sustainable plan is a route to better financial performance, making perfect business sense for the world at large. Improving efficiencies and adopting best practices enables competitive advantage while reducing GHG emissions. Many informal chats with several A-list companies and their CEO’s indicate that most companies “climate action” is all about buying more renewable energy and conserving power and water. However, there is very little awareness of the benefits of going beyond just buying more wind and derived solar electricity.

The understanding that climate sustainability and environment conservation involves a lot more steps of maintaining a green supply chain or creating eco-friendly processes and production lines is missing. Though an increasing number of organizations are aware of climate changes and their impacts on the world, a lot more efforts are needed at this hour by corporate India to achieve the overall net-zero target. The CDP India further mentions that the climate action is subjected to the organizations like TATA, Mahindra & Mahindra, L&T, Infosys and many such organizations; the list needs to add multiple names in multiple sectors to achieve the overall sustainability.

In addition to the above, the CDP report 2020 mentions that companies fair rather poorly on corporate climate actions and lack qualitative and quantitative targets on fixing its science-based targets, creating an internal carbon-price mechanism, verifying the emissions independently and many other such parameters. The report further mentions the MSME’s fair exceptionally badly on the climate action and suggests that such companies need more corporate action to achieve overall sustainability.

The CDP India further discusses the performance of Indian companies based on the measurement of climate risks. Climate Risk, an essential component, has been taken as a broad multi-disciplinary company-wide risk identification rather than individual-focused activity. According to the questionnaire sent to the 59 companies, 51 companies acknowledged the assessing climate risk had been a part of their best practices, though a handful reciprocated that they have dedicated climate risk identification, assessment and management process in their companies.

CDP added the monetary value of climate risks from disclosures of 215 large companies, which tallied to about $960 billion being at risk. These risks are primarily assessed from government regulation or market shifts related to climate change or direct interference with the operations.

The risk assessment is followed by the emission verification, which is done under four major categories:

1. The emissions under the companies’ control; include combustions from boilers and furnaces, emissions from vehicles and chemicals

2. Emissions that occur at the power plant that supplies power to the emission measuring company

3. Activities that occur as a consequence of company policies, whether under the direct control of the company or not

4. Emissions due to supply chains

Understanding the climate risk, most companies look only for emissions from energy and other options are overlooked. The CDP 2020 clarified that most of the 59 companies that responded only assessed up to the second scope of the climate risks but never independently verified any of the four mentioned scopes. These figures indicate that India’s Inc. is aware of the risks arising from climate instability; little has been done in this regard. The corporate must strategize in such a fashion that emission from all levels gets assessed and subsequently gets verified to achieve the collective net-zero target.

Another CDP measure on which Indian companies fails is “carbon pricing”. There have been very few companies that adopt the internal carbon pricing structure. Again, the 2020 CDP report mentions that just 20 companies had internal carbon pricing.

Of the many, another toot that describes how the Indian Inc is preparing itself for the net-zero emissions is adopting “science-based targets.” This is a progressive area where the Indian companies have succeeded. The report mentions that 40 Indian companies have adopted the science-based targets, and India ranks at the fifth spot in adapting to such targets to achieve the goal of 2°C global warming reduction. However, it is essential to mention here, despite being the top developing nation in aligning the overall goals with the science-based targets, Indian companies have a long way ahead to achieve the net-zero emissions target.

After analyzing the parameters that serve as a base for studying the health of Indian companies that

aim to achieve climate sustainability, it can be safely concluded that the process has begun, but the pace is plodding to achieve the target in the desired period.

Another factor that restricts Indian companies from achieving climate sustainability measures is the cost constraint. Though many measures are low in cost, the initial implementation involves substantial cost implications to adopt such measures. Initiatives on the part of the governments are essential to ensure that the organizations, irrespective of their operations’ size, can adapt to sustainable climate measures.

Having discussed some of the critical reasons for corporate inaction, another significant factor that can be treated as crucial for corporate lack of interest is the poor legal mechanism at the national and international levels. When levied upon due to inaction or complete ignorance, the legal penalties will ensure corporate prompt replies and climate sustainable actions within their organization. A regulatory push can ensure swift and crisp action on behalf of the corporates.

Apart from the regulatory push, another crucial criterion must be given an equal push to enhance the corporate sustainable models within each organization, i.e., the investor interference and their demand to incorporate climate sustainability within the Company Board. Investors demand to create a clean and green company supply chain, and the process lines will force the corporates to reduce their carbon footprints and maintain a green channel within their organization. In the Indian Context, to enable the investors to put a firm foot in front of the corporates, SEBI, the Indian Stock Market Regulator, creates guidelines termed as Business Report and Environment Reporting (BRSR).

The new ESG reporting will apply to the top 1000 listed companies on Indian exchanges. Under the BRSR guidelines, companies have to declare the R&D spends on improving environmental and social outcomes. It will be mandatory for these companies to disclose their energy and water consumed to turnover ratios. Also, it will be mandatory to report the percentage of recycled and reused input materials along with many other social and government disclosures such as CSR, employee skilling and gender diversity.

To achieve climate sustainability, the investors and the lenders must align with SEBI to add further value to the entire BRSR system. Once the ratios mentioned above are finalized, the investors and lenders can keep the ratios as the base for lending and investing criteria. Companies that do not intend to adopt the clean infrastructure and process line must be denied further investments.

After understanding the impacts of climate change, and to make climate leadership a norm, Indian corporates must focus on collaborations that are either B2B (Business to Business) or B2G (Business to Government) collectively to forge ahead on ambitious plans on climate action in order to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement. The collaborations will spur growth by catalyzing international trade, finance and technology transfer. All that is needed is to make it happen quickly, and that too, at a larger scale, brings about quick changes.

To bring the changes mentioned above, the Indian philanthropists have launched India ClimateColloborative (ICC) to strengthen the Indian Climate Community. The plan to launch the ICC was initiated in 2018, and it launched on 1st January 2020. The ICC has been the first-ever response the Indian Inc. to combat climate change. It aims to build a compelling India focused climate narrative and drive solutions to achieve climate objectives. The ICC further aims at curating opposition for those who plan to invest in climate change initiatives and intend to connect such companies with broader eco-systems so that such organizations are in a position to future proof their plans.

The ICC intends to launch its first air pollution programme, followed by other initiatives on land, water and various fields impacted by climate change. The ICC has been the first of its kind, and a lot is required on the part of Indian Inc. to achieve climate sustainability.

To conclude, it can be easily said that India and Indian corporates have started taking actions, but it is a long road ahead. The climate is changing and changing rapidly and tackling it has never been more urgent than now. It is necessary to remember that both business and government have to join hands and take coordinated measures on combating fossil fuels use and increasing renewable energies in the business lines.

Time is running out, and India must begin focusing on renewable sources at an exceedingly fast pace to achieve its Paris Summit objectives and achieve environmental stability to provide a green environment for generations to come.

LET’S DO IT TOGETHER!

“Become an active citizen through your wardrobe.”

Livia Firth (Founder & Director, Creative Age)

“Imagine a scenario where a group of teenage girls are flipping through the fashion magazine at a shopping complex somewhere in London. The girls are flooded with shopping bags and are furthermore tempted to buy more after flipping through the magazine. Simultaneously, somewhere in South Africa, a young man is flaunting his American basketball t-shirt, a t-shirt made on different continents. Two different scenarios in two different parts of the world are explaining a product lifecycle.”

Globalization and urbanization make it possible for a young boy in South Africa to initially wear a t-shirt from the USA; we call it “fast fashion”.

Fast fashion makes clothes affordable, but it does have an environmental cost. A cost that affects the environment globally and adds to the GHG emissions makes the ecosystem hotter and unbearable for species other than humankind to survive in their natural environment. The garment industry accounts for more than 10% of the global climate impact, more significant than the air flights and maritime shipping trips combined.

Clothing has complex supply chains that make it difficult to account for all of the emissions produced by producing a pair of trousers or a new coat. Then, the clothing is transported and disposed of when the consumer no longer wants it anymore. It is hard to visualize all of the inputs that go into producing garments, but let us take denim as an example: the United Nations estimates that a single pair of jeans requires a kilogram of cotton. Moreover, because cotton tends to be grown in dry environments, producing this kilo requires about 7,500–10,000 litres of water. That is about ten years’ worth of drinking water for one person. There are ways to make denim less resource-intensive, but in general, jeans composed of material that is as close to the natural state of cotton as possible use less water and hazardous treatments to produce. This means less bleaching, less sandblasting, and less pre-washing.

The fashion industry has a disastrous impact on the environment and is the second-largest polluter in the world after the oil industry. It would be unfortunate to understand these figures that the environmental damage is increasing manifolds with the fashion industry’s growth. In order to substantiate the fact that the fashion industry is the second-largest emitter of GHG emissions, it would be interesting to highlight some facts and figures:

1. The fashion industry consumes nearly 93 billion cubic meters of water every year, enough to meet approx’s water consumption of 5 million people.

2. Nearly 20% of wastewater worldwide comes from fabric dyeing and treatment.

3. Of the total fibre input used for clothing, 87% gets disposed of in a landfill.

4. If the lifestyle patterns continue to grow with the current pattern, global apparel consumption will rise to approximately 102 billion tons by 2029.

5. Half a million tons of plastic microfibres are dumped in the ocean every year, equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles. These microfibres cannot be extracted from water and can spread throughout the supply chain.

The UNEP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation published the above facts and figures to assess the global fashion industry’s damage. These facts and figures highlight the dark side of the glamorous glamour world. The world, which has a massive employment generation, completely neglects the impact of its activities on the environment and humankind. To understand the garment industry’s impact on our ecology, it becomes essential that we understand the industry’s carbon emissions at various levels, i.e., at the production, manufacturing and transportation level. However, it is very discouraging to note that the garment emits nearly two-third of its GHG emissions at the raw-material stage and leave adverse impacts on the global environment.

In addition to the above, polyester production accounts for nearly 55% of the total fashion industry emissions, releasing nearly 700 million tonnes of CO2 every year into the atmosphere. The polyester emission is closely followed by the cotton production emissions that account for nearly 23% of the fashion industry’s fossil fuel-based fibres.

Beyond the raw materials stage, the energy used at various levels of any garment lifecycle like manufacturing, transportation, packaging, and selling makes an enormous contribution to the GHG emissions. To understand these emissions, let us explore the contribution of the harmful gases the garment industry is making to the global ecological system:

Fashion and Water Pollution

In countries where garments are produced, untreated toxic wastewaters from the factories are dumped directly into the rivers. These wastewaters contain harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, arsenic that are highly harmful to aquatic life and the health of millions of the people living across the river bed. Such contamination reaches the sea and eventually spreads across the globe. This water contamination further happens due to the fertilizers used in the cotton production by polluting the run-off waters and evaporation waters.

After understanding the contamination of waters due to fabric production and other processes, the garment industry is expected to reduce its water consumption or to use sustainable ways of producing the garment to avoid polluting the water any further. However, in contrast to the expectations, the garment industry being the primary water consumer uses high water consumption fabrics and is highly polluting. An example of water usage is nearly 200 tons of freshwater used per ton of dyed fabric.

Another example can be cotton production that requires a considerable amount of water at the initial stages, i.e., nearly 20000 litres of water is required to produce 1kg of cotton; a massive pressure on the natural resources that is extremely scarce in the present world. If cotton is produced similarly as it is now, nearly 85% of the Indian population will drink water, reducing the almost nill. Furthermore, to reduce the water contamination and impact of garment pollution on the environment, the following measures can be adopted:

a. Choose clothes produced with strict environmental regulations adopted by the factories manufacturing them, ensuring a positive impact on the environment.

b. Adopt the usage of garments that are made from organic or natural fibres that require less or maybe no chemicals for its production.

c. Adopting a shift and focusing on more environmentally friendly fabrics like linen instead of cotton uses less water for its manufacturing.

d. Emphasize usage of recycled fabrics that helps environmental sustainability.

These initiatives can help in conserving water and emitting less hazardous gases, and achieve global environmental sustainability.

Water and Air Pollution

Gaseous emissions by the garment industry have been cited as the second-largest pollution problem after water pollution since most of the garment industry processes produce atmospheric emissions. However, little information is available, but as per the percentage data available on the garment industry’s pollution every year, the garment industry accounts for nearly 10% of carbon emissions by air. Some specific air pollutants produced by the industry are:

· At the energy production stage: nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide

· During the drying stage, volatile organic components (VOC) are produced during coating, wastewater treatment, and chemical storage.

· At the dyeing and bleach stage: aniline vapours, chlorine, chlorine dioxide

The garment industry’s primary air pollution source is boilers, thermo packs, ovens, and storage tanks. Various other sources also produce air pollution during the manufacturing stage of a garment lifecycle, but the above mentioned have been most influential. In order to curb these pollution sources that are prevalent in the garment industry, some significant steps are required:

i. Designing and manufacturing of products that do not produce toxic air pollutants

ii. Avoid fugitive air emissions from chemical spills through improved work

iii. By optimizing boiler operations to reduce the emissions of nitrous and sulphur dioxide

iv. Emphasize on use of scrubbers to collect particular matter

v. Ensure pre-screening of chemicals with the use of material safe data-sheet to ensure chemicals are not toxic

vi. Encourage the use of water-based products to decrease emissions of organic solvents

Such steps can help controlling air pollution to an extent; however, a collective effort at the global level by the textile industry to adopt sustainable ways will help achieve the objective of clear and breathable air.

Fashion and Microfibres in Oceans

Microfibres in oceans are significant concerns that the textile industry must address to achieve its commitment towards environmental sustainability. Whenever a synthetic garment such as polyester and nylon are washed, it releases nearly 1900 microfibres into the water, making its way to the oceans. Of many many observations made by the scientists, few observations explain that these microfibres are ingested by tiny aquatic organisms eaten by small fish and then by the larger fishes, eventually introducing plastic to our entire food chain.

It is estimated that nearly 1.9 million tons of microplastic fibres are released in oceans every year, making them present in every smallest part of our food chain. Additionally, 85% of human-made debris on the shoreline across the globe are microfibres.

Understanding the above facts and figures makes it mandatory that the textile industry start focusing on the semi-synthetic fibres that are less polluting and more ec0-friendly.

Fashion and Wastes

Clothes are disposable, and with the emergence of fast fashion, this has become a dark reality that impacts the global environment drastically. In terms of statistical figures, a family of four people throws away nearly 30 kgs of clothes every year, and of the 30 kgs, just 15% is recycled, and the rest gets wasted. These are startling figures that explain the harsh reality of the amount of pollution the textile world adds to already exhausted global GHG emissions.

In continuation with the above 30kgs disposal of clothes by an average household, then of the 30 kgs of the clothes disposed of, 5.2% are dumped in the landfills exhuming the flames creating global warming.

These wastes have been disturbing our ecological balance to a great extent and adding to the troubled ecology; another disturbing fact is that 72% of our clothes are made of synthetic fibres such as polyester, which again takes nearly 200 years to decompose. At this rate, the textiles will only be exhuming gases making the environment worst and non-livable.

The obvious question is, what can be done about it?

· Choose semi-synthetic fibres

· Recycle clothes

· Increase the lifecycle of clothes from three years to at least five years

· Environmentally friendly use fabric

Fashion and Chemicals

Trivia: 1 kg of chemicals are required to produce 1 kg of textiles

Chemicals are essential components of our clothes and are used in almost every stage of the garment manufacturing life cycle; starting from fibre production to dyeing or even wet processing; chemicals are available everywhere, adding to the already disturbed ecosystem’s woes.

The massive usage of chemicals in cotton farming adds to the devastation already existing in soil erosion and freshwater and even ocean water pollution. The chemical usage further takes away many cotton-producing farmers’ lives due to harmful effects on human health. Though cotton is considered an extremely breathable and excellent option for the severe heat facing nations, manufacturing and production are harmful to the people concerned. The obvious options are to shift to more organic fabrics and brands that are more sustainable.

Another option is to look for garments available with certification label controlling chemical content, such as OREO-TEX®, GOTS, BLUESIGN® and more. To shift to a more environmentally friendly garment is essential since 27% of the weight of any “100% natural” fabric is made of chemicals.

SCARY- ARE WE WEARING CHEMICALS?

Fashion and GHG Emissions

It is a well-known fact that the fashion industry accounts for 10% of global GHG emissions. It is even more shocking to know that 23% of these GHG emissions of the 10% GHG mentioned are generated for each kilo of fabric produced. The contribution to the global GHG emissions comes from the entire lifecycle of the garment purchased. Apart from the manufacturing phase, it is the production of raw materials (used at the manufacturing phase) that generate massive harmful gases.

Furthermore, it is even more discouraging to know that 400% more carbon emissions are produced if a garment is just worn five times instead of 50 times and is discarded instead of donating or recycling it. Cotton, synthetic fibres used in the manufacturing of any garment, are all made from fossil fuels adding to the already suffering ecosystem’s vows. A simple fact can understand that nearly 700 barrels are used every year to produce polyester, which is the raw material for a finished garment. Facts like these explain how much GHG emissions are happening due to cheap or substandard apparel and drastically disturbing the global ecosystem.

Fashion and Soil Degradation

Soil: a fundamental element of our ecosystem, is facing a severe threat, and if soil conservation is not taken up seriously, it will have serious consequence on both humans and the ecological system. Because healthy soil is essential for food to grow, degraded soil will not help food production, adding to humankind’s worries. On the ecological system, healthy soil helps in absorbing CO2, which will help control global warming.

The apparel industry’s contribution to soil degradation has been in different ways: one of which is overgrazing of pastures through cashmere goats and sheeps raised for wool. (TRIVIA: 90% of Mongolia’s surface is facing the threat of desertification, principally due to the breeding of cashmere goats).

Another reason is that degradation can happen due to the massive use of chemicals used to grow cotton. If the soil is degrading at this rate, it will decrease by 30% in food production over the next 30-40 years. Lastly, degradation can happen due to deforestation caused by wool-based fibres like rayon.

Fashion and Rain Forest Destruction

TREES: a lifeline for the planet

Trees are being cut at a very rapid pace for humankind’s usage, and if this continues, there will not be any trees left on earth, and humankind will be doomed. It is saddening to note that nearly 70 million trees are being cut down each year to make our clothes.

There is one question that I want to ask everyone. Do we plant trees at the same pace? If yes, then we indeed contribute to our planet’s health, and if no, where are we heading then?

Thousands of hectares of endangered species and forests are cut and are being replaced by plantations used in making wool-based fabrics like rayon, viscose, and modal to meet the demands of the textile industry. It is, however, estimated that 30% of these fabrics come from endangered forests; conserving those should be of utmost priority to prevent the ecological balance and protect some rare and endangered plants and other species. As already discussed, the loss of forests is not only a loss of ancient and diverse ecology, and it is about destroying what we have received as a gift of nature.

With so many harmful effects of the textile industry on nature and its resources, the industry must innovate and adopt eco-friendly ways to maintain the ecological balance and minimize the damage caused to the environment caused due to the emission of GHG because of its activities. The ultimate aim must to minimize these emissions and create a cleaner and greener environment.

To minimize the harmful effects, some measures that the textile industry can adopt are:

1. A Green Supply Chain is something that every textile manufacturing and retail company must aim at achieving. A green supply chain that involves the use of renewables and fabrics that are eco-friendly and organic must be adopted. Additionally, the above said supply chain must be green and short that at every stage is eco-friendly.

To achieve this, brands must ensure that they eliminate coal from their supply chain and aim to form partnerships with those who embrace sharing of capital costs. It is also essential that these textile brands further adopt green energy policies like green energy grids and transportation infrastructure.

2. Adopting a rental closet is another crucial way the clothes are available for rent in all price ranges and all occasions. Designers and brands must encourage the feature to create a sustainable wardrobe to lessen our environment’s burden. Encouraging the consumers to rent an outfit will reduce dumping the clothes, thus ensuring a green environment.

To encourage the “rent an outfit” culture, brands must work on factors like affordable prices, maintaining a high quality of the product, adopting sustainable clothes to create green brand awareness can be highlighted to achieve environment neutrality.

3. One other way is to adopt a consignment and resale strategy where the designers aim at producing garments with a future goal to extend the life of luxury goods with the quality and craftsmanship that makes it possible for the garments to stay in circulation for a relatively long period. Promoting the brand in association with sustainability will motivate the consumers to shift to this alternative medium. This will prove to be environmentally friendly, but it will be cost-effective for the brands as well.

4. Minimizing the impact of GHG emissions by manufacturing the textile industry is by shifting focus to more plant-based textiles such as organic cotton or pure viscose that can significantly reduce emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. These fabrics can be further helpful in resolving the ecological balance and natural resources to a great extent.

In addition to these initiatives, the textile industry, in association with the United Nations on December 10, 2018, fashion stakeholders worked during 2018 to identify ways in which the broader textile, clothing and fashion industry can move towards a holistic commitment to climate action. They created the Fashion Industry Charter on Climate Action, which contains the vision to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Fashion Industry Charter was launched at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018.

The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action goes beyond previous industry-wide commitments. Work under Fashion Charter for Climate Action is guided by its mission to drive the fashion industry to net-zero GHG emissions no later than 2050, in line with keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees. It also includes a target of 30% GHG emission reductions by 2030 and a commitment to analyze and set a decarbonization pathway for the fashion industry, drawing on methodologies from the Science-Based Targets Initiative. This target – which is one of many goals enshrined in the Charter – is a clear demonstration that the fashion industry is serious about urgently acting on climate change and is keen to set an example to other sectors around the level of commitment required to meet the scale of the climate challenge.

Under UN climate change, the Signatories and Supporting Organizations of the Charter will work collaboratively to deliver on the principles enshrined in the document. This will be done through Working Groups, which will bring together relevant stakeholders, experts, and initiatives in the fashion and border textile sector. The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, with its Working Groups, will identify and amplify best practices, strengthen existing efforts, identify and address gaps, facilitate and strengthen the collaboration among stakeholders, and join resources and share tools to enable the sector to achieve its climate targets.

The industry charter specifies the following overarching areas of work to be further developed by specific Working Groups:

· Decarbonization pathway and GHG emission reductions

· Raw material

· Manufacturing/Energy

· Logistics

· Policy engagement

· Leveraging existing tools and initiatives

· Promoting broader climate action

· Brand/Retailer Owned or Operated Emissions

Forty-three leaders, including Adidas, Burberry, Esprit, Guess, Gap Inc., Hugo Boss, H&M Group, Inditex, Kering, Levi Strauss & Co., Puma SE, PVH Corp., Target; leading membership organizations, including Business for Social Responsibility, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, China National Textile and Apparel Council, Outdoor Industry Association and Textile Exchange; global logistics company Maersk; and global NGO WWF International have committed to implementing or supporting the 16 principles and targets that underpin the Fashion Climate Charter. The Charter, which is open for other companies and organizations to join, recognizes the crucial role that fashion plays on both sides of the climate equation: contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and as a sector with multiple opportunities to reduce emissions while contributing to sustainable development.

With this Charter, one can only hope to achieve climate sustainability by the textile industry and reduce its emissions to nill. Change within the fashion industry needs to happen, and it seems that there is progress. Personal choices have a role in mitigation- there needs to be action at all levels from individuals to big corporations, and from local to international governance, as only by working together and changing behaviours will see results. However, the individual actions of consumers and businesses can send a strong message and spark change. Just need to know….

“HOW SOON?’

“Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, commodities, and countries dearly today & even more tomorrow. People are experiencing the significant impacts of climate change, including changing water patterns,

rising sea levels, and more extreme weather events”.

“The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.”

-GOAL (UN Sustainable Development Goals) accessed

18th Nov.2016

Climate change is no more an environmental concern. It has emerged as the most significant development challenge for the economies as a whole. Its economic impacts, particularly on the developing nation, make it a governance issue.

Industrialized countries have managed to delink sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from economic growth but cannot do the same with CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions. Per capita, CO2 emissions remain closely related to a country’s economic development level and, thus, standard of living. It is evident that till the time we reduce our dependence on CO2 (i.e., coal, oil, and natural gas), growth cannot be delinked substantially from CO2 emissions.

Understanding the usage of CO2, there is an urgent need to curb the use of fossil fuels (which are being used by every individual in one way or the other) by changing our lifestyle and shifting our focus towards a sustainable form of lifestyle. As the call for action is becoming urgent with each passing day, the world is looking for answers (with bated breath) from all the global economies collectively. Though the onus is on the developing economies to cut down on the CO2 emissions (due to the high industrialization), it is equally essential that the developed economies contribute equally and become more energy-efficient and reduce their energy emissions.

As they say:

“It is a collaborative effort.”

After years of brainstorming and discussions amongst the veterans of climate change analysts, the renewable energy (that is being considered the substitute for usage of fossil fuels) constitutes just 2% of the world’s primary energy in the world (data is since 2010). This is worrisome as renewable sources are being considered as the most significant substitute.

THE WORLD is yet to delink growth from carbon emissions, and we (INDIA) as an emerging world can leapfrog to make the transition to a cleaner technological regime.

INDIA: we all are aware that it is at the brink where it can make or break a path in terms of climate change (since it is developing economy and we are still building our infrastructure and cities). But, it is necessary to know how INDIA is getting affected by climate change economically???

Let me try and answer the same according to my understanding of the INDIAN economy:

IMPACT ON INDIAN ECONOMY

INDIA, one of the fastest-growing economies of the world, faces the challenge of lowering its carbon emissions, making itself reliant on renewable sources of energy (or sustainable sources of life) and yet driving impressive economic growth. More than 80% of India’s population still live less than $10 per day. According to the World Human Development Index: India stands at 129th position, ensuring an immense scope for improvement in the Indian economy. It is because of this reason, India has been crowned as the flag bearer of developing a green or sustainable economy.

According to Mc. Kinsey Global Institute, nearly 75% of India’s labour workforce, is exposed to heat-related stress, thus putting the country’s economic growth at risk. It also mentions that by 2030 the average loss in daylight working hours could put 2%-4% of GDP at risk, reducing efficiency to a great extent. Furthermore, the absence of any prudent legal framework (legislation that is in place to combat the effects of climate change) by the INDIAN government makes the task of achieving a sustainable environment more cumbersome to perform.

To achieve the ultimate goal of a sustainable environment, the closest laws in place are the Air (prevention and control of air pollution) act, 1981 and the water (prevention and control of water pollution) act, 1974. These have been amongst the earliest actions to combat climate change, though the two haven’t been implemented in the same manner as intended. In addition to the above two, there was the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 that was brought in to fulfil the gap of the laws mentioned above (that were already existing). However, the above also have not been implemented correctly both by the central and the state governments.

This ensures that the Indian system lacks a legal framework that binds the government and the individuals, both simultaneously to work collectively to achieve the mammoth target of climate sustainability. With these grim facts about India’s response to curbing carbon emissions, there has been a silver lining in the form of initiatives that have been undertaken in the recent past. These initiatives also lay importance to the fact that INDIA is indeed trying and is committed to achieving its part in the global response to climate sustainability. Seen from the global perspective, India’s per capita carbon emissions are marginal @ 4% of the global emissions (Singh 2019). In absolute terms, too, India’s emissions and energy intensity are favourably low compared to international countries. Over the years, the energy growth has been significantly lower (less than 4% p.a.) than the economic growth (over 9% p.a.) (Growth 2011).

This reduced energy intensity at the relatively low level of India’s GDP has been the result of a range of factors, including sustainable patterns of consumption, proactiveness (though at a somewhat lower level) to enhance the efficiency of the resources, and more recently, the use of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies (Purohit 2019). Furthermore, the globally computed indices, namely Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) and Climate Risk Index (CRI) indicate that INDIA has been fairing pretty well in taking up proactive actions for the adaptation and mitigation techniques to solve the issue of climate change.

According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) (the index indicates the efforts made by a country to tackle climate change effectively); amongst the 58 states that were ranked in 2017, India stands at 20th position, which is a positive sign and ensures that India is on track ahead. Still, a lot needs to be achieved. According to Climate Risk Index (CRI), India stands at the 14th position, which means that India is highly vulnerable to climate change. It is adversely dangerous.

The Indian economy has benefitted immensely by investing in CDM projects. The total number of projects registered was 1452 compared to 8044 projects globally by the end of 2015. On the other hand, CDM projects in India facilitated an estimated investment of Rs. 1.6 trillion by the end of 2014, investing in CDM projects fruitful for the economy and the environment of India.

With all the above initiatives by the governments at the various fronts, India still lacks a legal framework and the will on the part of governments to work on a war footing basis to achieve the competitive target of climate sustainability. This, in turn, is impacting sectors significantly…. Let’s have a clear understanding of how sectors are getting affected by climate change:

A. TOURISM SECTOR

Tourism is the largest single sector in the world economy that accounts for 9% of global expenditure. Over 2 million people are dependent on the industry for employment.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “India will lose its tourism revenues if the temperature keeps rising.” With the climate change, there would be a threat to major tourist destinations in terms of extinction of species, decreasing freshwaters, increasing heat waves, inability to conduct/ play snow-based games as the people will not be able to visit these places.

Mumbai is the financial capital of INDIA, is expected to witness considerable losses in the number of tourists visiting the city by the year 2050. A rough estimate of about 19, 63,500 crores of rupees would be lost alone by the financial capital from its tourism sector by the year 2050. This figure could give a rough estimate of the magnitude of loss INDIA as a country would be facing due to lack of tourism.

The above is a petite figure to understand the losses; there are no significant facts and figures that can estimate the failure in the tourism sector in the decades to come. The only silver lining is to adopt a holistic approach in tackling the climate change problem in the industry and bring it back on the road to recovery.

B. MANUFACTURING SECTOR

It is incredibly discouraging to know that there is no concrete data available that can make us understand how the manufacturing sector will get impacted by climate change. The industry as a whole too is facing the heat of rising temperature and growth in environmental situations. More than 90% of manufacturing pollution comes from consumer used products such as electronics and vehicles. This contributes to the contribution of the sector to the global pollution of GHG (Green House Gases) for 19% and another 11% of the power used to produce these consumer goods. Furthermore, the temperature rise could add to the manufacturing sector’s fury, and in the year 2050, the global loss can be estimated to be around $47 billion.

Again, about INDIA’s financial capital, Mumbai could witness losses of around 15,08,138 crores rupees in the manufacturing sector by the year 2050. This is just an estimation that too, for only one city in the country. It is tough to imagine how devastating the figures can be when the entire country’s estimates are taken into consideration.

These figures are terrifying, but only a collaborative approach and the zeal to take dramatic steps will help curb the climate changes, thus, enabling the sector to flourish as it is desired.

C. INSURANCE SECTOR

Climate change is no longer a projection for emerging risks but is a reality for insurance companies worldwide.

Insurers have been researching what climate change effects mean to their businesses, and pricing of the insurances will be premium. However, the property, health, and life could still be left uninsured. According to estimates, the losses from global natural disasters in 2018 were approx. $160 billion, with half of the value, still left uninsured. Furthermore, the annual losses for more than 136 of the world’s largest coastal cities could rise from $6 billion in 2005 to over $1 trillion by 2050. This can be reduced if these cities invest about $50 billion annually in climate change adaptation without delay. The Bank of England warns that “Climate change could threaten economic resilience and financial stability severely.” According to Climate Wise: The insurance sector needs to use more of its $30 trillion of investments in funding society’s resilience to climate change effects.

Insurance is going to play a pivotal role in a country like INDIA, which is dominated by rain-fed agriculture. There is a vast scope for insurance to improve upon for INDIA and other developing countries and be the flag bearer for innovation. Lack of innovation and initiative by industry giants could prove a gargantuan challenge.

D. AUTOMOBILE SECTOR

Of the total global CO2 emissions, the transportation sector contributes to about 24%. The industry responsible for nearly a quarter of global emissions; road transport (which consists of cars, trucks, buses), accounts for a whopping 74% of international transport CO2 emissions.

In the year 2018, more than 86 million new cars were produced, and of these, there was a soaring demand for heavier vehicles (like SUVs) that are responsible for a notch higher emissions into the atmosphere.

INDIAN automobile industry is one of the largest globally, and by 2026, it is expected to be the third-largest automobile market (in terms of volumes) in the world.

The industry currently manufacturers 26 million vehicles, including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three-wheelers, two-wheelers, and quadricycles in March-April 2020. Of this, 4.7 million vehicles were exported. INDIA holds a strong position in the international market for heavy vehicles as it is the largest tractor manufacturer, second-largest bus manufacturer, and third largest heavy truck manufacturer in the world. This automobile sector is expected to reach $300 billion by 2026 (currently, it stands @ $118 billion).

With such promising figures, the automobile sector is flourishing rapidly (which is a positive sign). Having said so, if there is a time to take stock and recalibrate its sustainable strategy, it is NOW.

Stricter emission norms, higher taxes, lack of infrastructure (such as charging stations and cleaner fuels), and the uncertainty of mainstream consumer demand for electric and hybrid vehicles… creates innumerable challenges for the industry as a whole in terms of maintaining economic profitability and achieving environmental sustainability at the same time.

To achieve both of the parameters mentioned above at the same time, it is extremely important to innovate. Innovation is the key driver that can lead the way towards making INDIA a pioneer in eco-friendly technologies for cars. Adding to innovation, there is a requirement to influx fresh talent (that can add and create new ideas) and create an infrastructure base along with research and development (R&D) for promoting and achieving innovation.

This would be possible if both the government and industry stalwarts sit together and brainstorm with an ambition to achieve a cleaner and greener environment for the present and the future generations to live in.

E. OIL AND GAS SECTOR

Oil & gas firms have had far and more adverse climate impacts than thought off. According to a study, human emissions of fossil methane have been underestimated by up to 40%.

According to the UN Environment Program: Methane has a greenhouse effect that is about 80 times more potent than CO2 over 20 years, which is responsible for at least 25% of global heating.

Investments in oil and gas production over the next five years will lock in more than 1.5°C of global warming. 85% of global and gas expansion plans are in North America alone. The world today cannot afford and does not need more oil and gas development. In addition to catastrophic climate, change-expansion puts countries, communities, workers, and investors currently dependent on oil and gas financially at risk.

Indian oil and gas industry is amongst the eight core industries and plays a significant role in influencing decision-making for all other essential sections of the economy. The oil and gas sector is exposed to the range of climatic events and their potential impacts such as storm surges, floods, water scarcity, heat waves, etc.….. yet there is very little preparedness and planning for assessing how it may vary the future due to change in the climate. Indian oil and gas sector needs to be more concerned from the resilience point of view than mitigation of GHG (Green House Gases) emissions. To combat the impact of climate change, the sector needs to brainstorm over the following categories:

· Concerned companies take immediate actions about existing infrastructure and should within the next five years. The four most essential steps relate to conducting location-specific flood modelling exercises, exploring plant-specific water efficiency improvement options, and building a database to properly establish the impact of temperature rise on energy consumption and efficiency of operations.

· Maintaining long-term actions that pertain to existing and planned infrastructure and relate to building institutional capabilities at the national level in terms of building strategic knowledge and regulatory framework to understand climate change.

F. TEXTILE SECTOR

The textile industry is considered the most ecologically harmful industry in the world. The industry is enormous, and the environmental impacts occur at every stage of the fibres’ life cycle, yarn fabrication, fabric manufacture, wet processing, and manufacturing of the garment. The distribution and transportation to the stores, usage of the product, and the final stage of disposing of the product involve a massive amount of pollution.

The textile industry uses nearly 2000 different chemicals to transfer everything from dyes to agents. These chemicals pollute water significantly, causing water crises affecting the long-term environment ultimately. This contaminated water, pigments, de-fumer, bleach, and other powerful chemicals pollute the environment and increase heat, causing global warming.

Indian textile industry contributes 14% to industrial production, 3% to the GDP, 8% to the total excise revenue collection, and 17% to the country’s export earnings and employs nearly 40 million people. With these figures, the textile sector’s growth is enabled and facilitated by the use of material, leading to a manifold impact on the environment. The effects of the initiatives have been drastic both on human beings and the environment. This has given rise to the use of sustainable forms of fabrics that are ecofriendly in their usage and, at the same time, economically significant.

To maintain this kind of sustainability, the sector has developed considerably. However, this development has made the textile industry competitive in the global market but hurts human life and the environment as a whole. Automation and modernization increased the production speed, but the result has been extremely negative on water, air, and lead to severe health hazards.

It is now on the government and the industry together to sit and brainstorm to make their industry more environmentally sustainable and economically significant, together at the same time.

G. PHARMA SECTOR

For the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, the impact of climate change is two-folds, responding to the increased risk of certain diseases and conditions and decarbonizing their processes and products to prevent the worsening effect.

The sector is far from green. A study by environment engineers at the University of Ontario: found that the industry is significantly more emission-intensive (13% or more) than the automotive industry despite being 28% smaller.

According to an analysis, combined CO2 emissions from hospitals, health services, and medical supply chains across the OCED group (37 countries across the globe including US, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, etc.) plus China and India comprise 4% of total global emissions footprint…. more significant than either aviation or shipping.

The NHS (National Health Services) in the UK has been found to produce 5.4% of England’s total carbon emissions. The pharmaceutical company must retain a focus on driving decarbonization and best practice sustainability in the house as in product design. In 2015, the Global Pharmaceutical Industry produced 55% more CO2 than the automotive industry.

Understanding the above, the shift to a far more rapid decarbonization rate across the pharma industry, and the broader healthcare sector will require significant action. Focused efforts can deliver decarbonization results and can be delivered alongside economic growth and expansion service.

According to IDC: FutureScape, Worldwide Datacenter 2019, global pharmaceutical performance demonstrated that the company’s leading on emissions (Amegen, Johnson & Johnson, and Roche Holding) were also most profitable in the sector. This is clear proof that there are economic opportunities in innovating for the future.

H. AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Climate change and agriculture are interrelated processes, both of which take place at the international level, i.e., global scale. Climate change affects farming in several ways, including through growth in the average temperatures, rainfall, and climate extremes (heat waves, etc.), changes in pests and diseases, changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and ground-level ozone concentrations, changes in the nutritional quality of some foods, etc. to name a few.

Changes in the climate are already affecting agriculture, the impacts of which have been unevenly distributed across the world. The climate changes will probably increase the risk of food insecurity for some vulnerable groups; for example, South America may lose 1%-21% of its arable land area, Africa 1%-18%, Europe 11%-17%, and India 20%-40% approx. The accelerating pace of climate change, combined with global population and income growth, threatens food security everywhere. Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures eventually reduce the yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Pests management becomes less effective, meaning that higher rates of pesticides will be necessary to achieve the same control levels. Heatwaves can cause extreme heat stress in crops, limiting yields if they occur during certain times of the plants’ life-cycle (pollination, pod, or fruit set). Also, heat waves can result in wilted plants (due to elevated transpiration rates), which can cause yield loss if not counteracted by irrigation. Heavy rains that often result in flooding can also be detrimental to crops and soil structure. The overall impacts of climate change on farming are expected to be negative, threatening global food security.

Indian agriculture remains vulnerable to the vagaries of weather, and the looming climate change threat can make it vulnerable further. It is estimated that farm incomes could reduce by 15-18% and 20-25% in unirrigated areas since agriculture accounts for a large share of GDP (16%) and an even greater employment share (around 49%).

The Economic Survey in 2017-18 has warned that “climate change could reduce annual agricultural incomes in the range of 15% to 18% on an average, and up to 20% to 25% for unirrigated areas”.

With all the above figures, sustainable development within climate change is the need of the hour. It is necessary for the government and the industry along with farmers at the grass root levels to effectively and swiftly achieve the desired sustainability.

After understanding all the sectors and their contribution towards INDIA’s economy, it is clear that the road towards a sustainable environment is a long way. There is an immense scope of improvement, and a sea of opportunities are in front of the CEOs that they can adopt to achieve climate sustainability. There are lots of opportunities, but the obvious question to be raised is….

Whether the CEOs are taking enough steps in the right direction, or do they view the problem of climate change as the corporate problem or no????

The answer to this is that CEOs do acknowledge climate change as the corporate problem but are clueless about the road ahead. Awareness levels about climate change are at the highest levels than ever; however, the shape of future corporate strategies is to be formulated at a large scale.

The issue of climate change needs immediate attention by the corporates and the governments, and to counter the effects of climate change, nearly 3% of the GDP could be spent. With such a vast population, inadequate infrastructure and lack of policies, climate change is a defining subject that must be addressed to maintain the economy’s pace. With the resilient economy and ecology that is fragile, INDIA is looking for ways to achieve sustainable development – economically sound, socially relevant, and environmentally friendly. Economic growth at the cost of degradation of the environment will aggravate poverty, unemployment, and disease. Thus, the integration of development with that of the environment has been at the forefront of India’s policymaking. The question is:

“Are we ready?”

“In a world, where profit is consistently put before both the people and the planet, climate economics has everything to do with ethics & morality.”

Naomi Klein, Canadian author, and activist

ASIA: Earth’s largest and the most populated continent, covering about 30% of earth’s total land area and 8.7% of its total surface area. China and India alternated in being the largest economies in the world from 1 to 1800 C.E. China was major economic power and attracted many to the east, and for many, the legendary wealth and prosperity of the ancient culture of Asia personified ASIA.

The earth’s climate is changing for more than 10,000 years of relative stability, and Asia is on the front line. Climate science speaks that absence of adaptation and mitigation of the climate hazards the region faces in the future, from heat waves to flooding, the impacts could be more intense and severe in ASIA compared to the other parts of the world. As Asia seeks to grow its economy and remain the key source of growth for the rest of the wo

rld, the climate is a critical challenge that the region will need to manage.

Off the top five global pollution emitters, Asia homes three (3) of the top five (5) emitters. China, India, and Japan have been ranked as the 1st, third and fifth, respectively, in the top 5 global polluters list. Being the most populous continent globally, the population boom ensures Asia emits more CO2 than any other region. Adding to the above problem is t

he desire to industrialize and rise to the eastern continents’ levels. With this desire and the historical differences (in terms of growth and industrialization), the developing countries have time and again agreed to continue to increase their carbon emissions (the catch is: developing countries industrialize more and developed countries should reduce more on carbon emissions).

Asia is regularly identified as one of the regions that are hit the hardest due to global warming. The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change has noted that Asia’s large population, the frequency of natural disasters, and a chaotic urbanization process with population relocated to coastal crises make Asia vulnerable to climate change.

According to The World Bank: “more than half of South Asia will see a decline in living standards due to rising temperature, impacting agricultural production and likely triggering mass migration.”

Amongst all the Asian countries, Vietnam will be one of the most severely impacted by climate change due to the long coastline. This long coastline is highly vulnerable to storms and floods. Because of its large low-lying areas, the country is always in danger both in climate disasters and economic development. One of the significant provinces is in the southern Mekong Delta, one of the most productive areas contributing to the Vietnamese economy’s substantial economic growth. The researchers estimate that most of the Mekong Delta will

be submerged into water due to rising sea levels resulting in a significant financial crunch for the economy.

Knowing ASIA and its overall demographics in terms of climate change, it is essential to understand (in brief) what impact climate change has on global and Asian economies. Let’s understand

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON GLOBAL ECONOMY

The impacts of climate change are many and diverse. Determining whether these impacts are beneficial or detrimental, small or large, will depend on the sector, location, and time being considered. To understand various aspects like crops hit by worsening drought crops growing faster due to CO2 fertilization, increasing heat stress, decreasing cold pressure, rising sea-level, increasing energy demand for cooling, species going extinct, etc..…. the list is long and endless. Thus, we need aggregate indicators to assess whether climate change is

, on balance, a good or bad thing and whether the climate change problem is large or small compared to other issues the society (at large) faces.

The global economy will be at least smaller by 3% by 2050 owed solely to the effects of climate change, including weather and rising sea levels. The above figure has been laid in “framework from data experts at the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2019”.

Africa is the least resilient region to the impact of climate change, and its economy will likely contract by at least 4.7% by 2050. Latin America would contract at least by 3.8% by 2050, followed by the Middle East and Eastern Europe that will contract by 3.7% and 3%, respectively. Asian Pacific economy would contract the least to an estimate of 2.6% by 2050.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) forecasted in 2019 that the North American economy would contract by 1.1% by 2050 while Western Europe prepares itself for contraction by 1.7%. Both these regions are wealthier and are more equipped to handle climate change effects from an institutional viewpoint than the other counterparts in the globe. According to John Ferguson (Group’s Country Analysis Director, EIU): the economic impacts will grow over time, and a 3% loss of real GDP in 2050 is highly significant for the global economy.

According to International Monetary Fund, 2008: the impact of climate change will not be uniformly distributed across the globe; it is the developing countries like

Africa and Asia that are most at risk and are most likely to disproportionately experience the negative impacts of climate change and also, the negativity in the economy. The aftermath of natural disasters may lead to revenue reductions due to negative impacts on tourism, agriculture, and the fishing sector.

According to a report by Hallegatte, Dumas, Hourcade, 2010, the developing economies would have two-fold negative impacts.

· The first of these would be in the form of increased strain on domestic budgets, fewer resources in the form of aid, and economic development funds.

· The second will be towards the governments forced to divert funds towards funding and monetizing climate adversities rather than productive projects.

Adding to the above two, the report suggested that such countries will have less capacity to rebuild and less time recovering from natural disasters.

According to the World Bank, ASIA would be amongst the worst affected by climate change, and its economy will contract largely due to its inability to deal with the adversities and constantly being on the restructuring path rather than on the productive and growth path. This is because of the low latitude position of the continent.

It is a well-known phenomenon that the economy would be impacted greatly by the rising climate, and ASIA is the worst impacted.

BUT HOW?????

I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THIS……. LET’S UNDERSTAND THIS TOGETHER……!!!!!!

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON ASIA

“The financial climate, it seems, has been as unforgiving as the atmospheric one!”

Both the climate and the economic experts believe that ASIA is the worst impacted and is the most vulnerable region to climate change on the planet. With more than 60% of the world’s population living in ASIA alone, this phenomenon poses a serious concern for policymakers.

Although economic analysis of climate change is a comparatively new issue, numerous studies have been conducted worldwide that estimates the impact of climate change economically on various nations. Within ASIA, south-east Asia is the region that is most vulnerable to climate change and, thus, would be maximum impacted by climate change economically as well.

Being the developing continent compared to its counterparts, the Asian continent has seen rapid economic growth that has uplifted its economic standards over the decades. However, the development pattern has not been environmentally sustainable, and its increase in CO2 emissions (over 5% annually) has made it as fastest-growing CO2 emitters driving climate change amongst all its peers.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)… if the trend persists, Asia (particularly in south-east Asia) will sustain bigger economic losses than estimated. A study conducted by ADB suggests that if it is business as usual (BAU), i.e., no control by the governments of the Asian countries than an estimated 11% of GDP would be lost by 2100.

Along with the physical risks (that can be viewed over time), the long term economic risks would be severe and intense. So what are these economic risks???

Let’s take a look:

A. Increased risk of river flooding, coastal induation, and sea-level rise

By 2100 there would be an increase in sea level rise by 70 cms and this would mean loss of land and salinity intrusion (means the movement of saltwater to freshwater that will lead to water degradation). This loss of land could be about 1% of land by 2050. Salinity intrusion could cause the loss of thousands of hectares of productive paddy and agricultural land, making farmers jobless and at a loss of work. This will impact the economy drastically.

B. Increased Water Stress

With the development there comes the use of water resources to a great extent. The water resources are going to be under stress due to excess demand, ultimately leading to water stress for nearly 190 million people by 2050. With development, there is increased emissions that will ultimately increase evaporation of water, hence, reduced water supply for drinking water and agriculture—a direct impact on the economy at large.

C. Increased risk from intense cyclones and storms

An increase or change in climate will lead to an increase in cyclones and storms across Asia, and the same would be with higher intensity. The increase of these cyclones would impact the areas highly, resulting in a huge amount of damage to life and property. Since, growth of any economy is possible if all its sectors grow together having a collaborative and coordinated effort and hence, the growth would be derailed and badly affected.

D. Decline of agricultural production and productivity

Agriculture is conditioned by temperature and rainfall, and thus, it is vulnerable to climatic conditions. An increase in temperature can cause heat stress and crop sterility, while a reduction in night temperature may reduce yields. Changes in rainfall will lead to water deficit stress, flooding losses, changes to seasonal duration that often cause production declines.

South-East Asia produces nearly 30% of rice supply and the fluctuating temperature will result in a decline in rice production by up to 5% between 2010-2050. In addition to this, approximately 7% of the land of Vietnam could submerge into the water due to a 1-meter-sea-level rise.

E. Increased risk of heat-related mortality and water-and vector-borne diseases

Rising temperature leads to a change in climate and ultimately increases the risk of mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. It also increases the thermal stress and proliferation of water-and-vector-borne diseases. All these infections and the various diseases will lead to a high rate of mortality by the end of the 21st century.

All these diseases will impact the economy badly since a healthy economy can be achieved only when the economy has healthy human resources.

F. Loss of labor productivity

Human labor is only possible without medical risk up to a certain humidity-adjusted temperature limit- this phenomenon is as wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT). The decrease in labor productivity will add on to the business leaders wows and the growth process will slow down. This will additionally add on to the government’s stress as loss of productivity will lead to unemployment, ultimately derailing the growth of the economy as a whole.

G. Higher resources demand

With rising sea levels, storms, floods, and many such natural disasters, infrastructure at the coastal regions will face a high amount of destruction requiring much more repair, reconstruction, and increased reinforcement.

Furthermore, the increased climate will influence the need for more energy in order to meet the demand for cooling equipment. These cooling equipment will add to the demand for electricity. According to Bosello et al. 2012, it is estimated that electricity demand is going to increase by 12% in DA5 countries against a no-climate-change baseline, mainly driven by cooling needs.

H. Coral reef extinction and coastal ecosystem collapse

About 40% of the world’s coral reefs are found in Asia, with the world’s most diverse reef communities in the “coral triangle” as well as extensive seagrass beds supporting most of the world’s seagrass species.

With under 4°C of warming within the 21st century, virtually all coral reefs within Asia will be extinct, along with the marine system that it supports. This will ultimately hamper the businesses that are based on marine ecology, and thus, this will directly impact the economy and its growth, making society less productive as a whole.

I. Loss of terrestrial forests and biodiversity

Plant and trees have a relatively long life span and have limited ability to migrate or adapt quickly as per the change in climatic conditions or rising temperatures. This results in limited ability to adapt to changes in floods, deadly diseases, epidemics or pandemics, etc. ultimately leading to drought-like situations, thus, ensuring the emergence of drought-like situations more frequent and prevalent.

The climate fluctuations will lead to a risk of loss of around 30% of tropical forest area (according to Zelazowskict at, 2011) in Asia. When endemic flora is lost, the fauna is also at risk of extinction. Loss of natural forests will eliminate supplies of energy, food, timber, fiber, etc. along with crucial ecosystem services.

All this loss will impact the economy hugely as the economic and business processes are directly or indirectly impacted by the availability of natural resources.

These are huge risks that need immediate attention and action on the part of the governments and the corporates. Collaborative and collective action is the need of the hour. This would entail shifting to a low-carbon economy or an economy that is based on carbon sources that have minimal GHG (Green House Gases) emissions.

By now, it is a well-established fact that Asian countries are at a huge risk in terms of impact on its economy due to environmental conditions. It is also well-known that Asian countries can lead the way to global climate action by shifting towards a low-carbon economy. It is now on the countries or on the economies (including the most important aspect: “manpower”) as a whole to decide collectively how they can achieve the massive target of low or zero carbon emissions. It is imperative that the governments of each and every country have to brainstorm greatly to first start working within so that they can make the global impact being….. “FELT”.

It is extremely important that we start saving our home first and then move to our neighbors to help achieve environmental sustainability.

“It is easier said it done.”

Having understood all this, I want to know….. How can I protect my home????? Also, I want to understand how can I contribute (as a citizen) to achieve environmental sustainability??? In addition to these, I also want to know how my government and the business leaders work together (and also independently) in achieving the curb of GHG (Green House Gases) so that environment is a better place to live in and breathe in…????

Lastly, I want to understand how my country (India) is preparing to achieve zero carbon emissions and make the environment cleaner and greener for the generations to come……

Let’s analyze…..