The United Nations’ Six-Sector Solution to the Climate Crisis

Source: UN Environment Programme

In 2020, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced a six-step approach to reduce climate-related human activity and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures by 2030. This requires us to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide by thirty gigatons every year by 2030–the equivalent of travelling around the world by car almost three billion times per year. So which industries have the UNEP targeted? 

Energy 

The energy sector produces 65% of all greenhouse gases, with fossil fuels providing approximately 80% of energy worldwide. However, renewable energy is on the rise, and is expected to provide 35% of energy by 2030, with renewable energy expected to provide 90% of all energy by 2050. Hydropower is currently the most used renewable energy source, with nuclear, solar, wind, and geothermal being other key sources. Renewable energy investment is increasing and set to reach $2.4 trillion USD in 2022 worldwide. Further, renewable energy technology is becoming less expensive, helping to overcome economic inequity to attain the Sustainable Development Goal of universal access to “affordable and clean energy.”  

Another obstacle that has emerged is fossil fuel companies being accused of greenwashing. More recently, social media ads has also provided concern in the UK. Transparency is essential – and not limited to the energy sector - as acknowledged by the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, in the race to reach Net Zero. 

Agriculture, Food, and Waste 

We are currently not on target to reach Zero Hunger worldwide by 2030. Almost 10% of the global population don’t have enough food, with the COVID-19 pandemic almost doubling acute hunger. Climate change and food insecurity directly affect one another, with climate change increasing food insecurity, food production creating up to 30% of GHGs, and food waste contributing 8-10% of GHGs. Therefore, we can take advantage of this relationship and work toward Zero Hunger and Net Zero by targeting the agriculture, food, and waste sector. Plus, sustainable agriculture and food production provide many additional benefits, including more effective land use amidst a growing global population and protection of biodiversity.  

Buildings and Cities 

While cities consist of less than 2% of land, they produce 60% of global GHGs. Cities also contribute to a significant amount of energy use, requiring more than three-quarters of global energy demand. Green buildings have been internationally proven (including in the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, and South Africa) to reduce cost, water, energy, and GHGs, while providing jobs during production. Green cities also offer additional benefits by improving air quality, when 99% of the global population breathes excessively polluted air, and providing green spaces, which can improve mental health. 

C40, a network of mayors across 96 cities that consist of more than 20% of the global economy, is working to halve their GHGs by 2030, and more than 1,000 cities, and local governments are working with C40 in their Cities Race to Zero initiative. Implementing green and climate-friendly mandatory building regulations internationally is essential and benefits both human and planetary health. 

Nature-Based Solutions 

At COP-26, 145 countries announced their intent to reverse all deforestation by 2030. This is despite carbon emissions in the Amazon more than doubling in 2019 and 2020 compared to previous years due to increased deforestation and fires. By reducing deforestation for unsustainable agriculture, we can reduce GHGs by 5.9 gigatons, as well as improve air quality, food and water security, climate resilience and reduce biodiversity loss, as we continue to tackle the triple planetary crisis. 

Industry 

Incentivizing and mandating a transition to greener, low-carbon alternatives is essential as we aspire for Net Zero. Carbon pricing (“a cost applied to carbon pollution to encourage polluters to reduce the amount of GHGs they emit into the atmosphere”) is considered one of the most effective options to reduce carbon emissions. This is through providing a triple benefit of increased carbon-responsible activity for individuals, businesses, and countries; finance to repair the damage that human activity has already induced; and intergenerational funding to tackle the costs of climate change across generations, instead of the burden being placed on future generations (financially, socially, and environmentally). Therefore, ensuring a focus on the triple bottom line (focussing on profit, people, and planet – and not solely profit) is necessary for the industrial sector to reach Net Zero. 

Transport 

GHGs from transport have increased faster than any other sector and are predicted to double by 2050. At this rate, exhaust fumes deaths are predicted to increase by more than 50% by 2030. Therefore, global transport sector decarbonization requires a multi-faceted approach to create climate-resilience, including accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources, incentivizing change, investing, and creating safe, sustainable travel for all.  

Summary of the Six-Sector Solution 

While there is not one simple solution for the self-inflicted climate emergency, the UNEP have suggested six attainable and interlinked solutions that when combined can limit global warming to 1.5 degrees by 2030. Therefore, we must take personal responsibility to advocate for and enable the required change to overcome the climate crisis.