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Never has humanity faced a crisis as critical as Global Warming, decades of pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at astronomical levels have created an impending disaster of our own making. Not only does this affect our lives now through more frequent and intense natural disasters ranging from hurricanes to forest fires, but it also puts the writing on the wall for our future generations, who without immediate action will suffer the consequences of our complacency. As well as the toll on humanity, the impact on animals, insects and other creatures around the world will be dramatic, with the likely extinction of species be it due to melting Ice caps or extreme weather patterns.
We only have one shot at reducing the global CO2 level, there are no resets and no do-overs. What we do now will be the tipping point for future generations around the world, for too long has the world stood idly by watching this disaster unfold before their eyes and is only now that it has become clear (to the majority) that we must act. The formation of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) was set up in 1995 to address issues on climate change, however, it has only recently been agreed as of COP 21 (2015 Paris Agreement) that stronger action towards carbon reduction should be pursued globally.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has advised that urgent action is needed around the world in efforts to limit the global temperature increase to a maximum of 1.5°C. This is to meet the aim of holding the global temperature increase 2°C below pre-industrial levels. The Below graph shows the average temperature difference over the last 100+ years. It is clear to see that the average global temperature has been exponentially increasing since the 1980’s.
Net zero is the process of cutting carbon emissions to such a low level that any residual output can be absorbed by nature or responsibly stored without any environmental impact. Doing this will mean the resulting CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) emissions into the atmosphere are equal to zero. World governments know that immediate Net Zero is impossible with today’s infrastructure so there are two world targets. This is a 45% CO2 emissions reduction by 2030 and a 100% CO2 emissions reduction (Net Zero) by 2050. Net Zero by 2050 was first made legally binding in the UK as advised by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and was met by staggering public support of more than 80% in favour.
Transitioning to Net Zero will be one of if not the hardest actions faced by humanity. Everything from power plants to cars will need to stop pumping CO2 into the atmosphere, this will be particularly difficult for 3rd world and developing countries who lack the infrastructure and GDP to make the required changes. However, the sooner counties, organisations and even individual households act, the lower the costs of change will be.
In order to reach Net Zero targets countries and companies will need to invest in renewable sources of energy as currently fossil fuels make up the highest proportion of energy usage worldwide. Fossil fuels are not limitless and not only do they produce a huge amount of carbon when used, but obtaining them also is an incredibly carbon-heavy task. The below table shows the UK’s use of different types of energy, although Natural Gas is the most used source of energy, renewable sources make up a higher percentage of the overall usage as a result of the UK’s continued investment in renewable energy sources.
The 2030 Net Zero target is to ensure counties and organisations are on track for a complete Net Zero target by 2050. By 2030 all organisations should be producing 45% less CO2 emissions compared to levels in 2010. This target will only be achievable by moving to cleaner energy sources, marking changes to the way business operates e.g. remote working to reduce CO2 output from employees driving into the workplace or even simply ensuring the lights get switched off when not needed.
The UK has already made great strides in carbon reduction cutting emissions by 48% between 1990 and 2021, making the Net Zero 2030 commitment very much achievable for the UK. However, although the UK is making great strides many other countries have failed to make such drastic progress as can be seen by the graph below. As the UK only makes up approximately 1% of active CO2 production, it is also up to many other countries to match the commitment and progress of the UK towards carbon reduction.
Net Zero by 2050 is an incredibly ambitious target for all countries and organisations as it involves massive infrastructure changes and how we reasonably deal with residual carbon emissions. It is important to note that the Net Zero by 2050 target does not mean that there will be no carbon emissions in 2050. This would be impossible in sectors such as agriculture or aviation, however, it simply means that the Carbon produced should be offset by other means such as Carbon capture or planting more trees to allow the CO2 to be converted to O2.
The process of reducing carbon output on a large scale, although tough, can have excellent benefits financially. The UK has proved this by showing that where emissions are reduced GDP is increased. This is through the creation of new jobs, infrastructure and innovation. The below graph shows the UK GDP to Emissions reduction compared to that of the rest of the G7.
Capitalisation on carbon reduction is the best way to ensure that countries and businesses will be fully committed to the reduction in emissions. The reason the UK has capitalised so well on carbon reduction is due to investing large amounts of money in electricity production as this was previously largely imported. Greater investment in Nuclear, Offshore wind and the national grid has created thousands of new jobs paving the way for the UK to become far more self-sufficient in clean energy production.
Only with innovation and proactivity can the 2050 target be reached. This target therefore must be aimed not only at countries as a whole but every large business, SME and organisation also. Simple changes such as Car sharing, fitting solar panels or switching out incandescent lightbulbs for LEDs are a number of small changes that when stacked up can make big differences to a business’s carbon output.
The 2050 Net Zero target can only be reached if all organisations play their part. Therefore, we at MIT have outlined our net zero plan to ensure we meet the 2050 target, starting with the way we deal with energy. We are now monitoring our office space by measuring the energy usage of our entire building, this allows us to make informed decisions to help reduce our overall consumption. By processing the last year’s worth of our electricity usage we have been able to see in real-time the impact of changes we have made, from simply turning down the heating or switching off the lights when not needed.
The next step to reaching net zero is to source the electricity that we are using responsibly by adopting a clean energy alternative. At present we rely on natural gas to heat our building, however, we plan to move to 100% renewable energy by investing in Solar Panels for our countryside office. Solar Panels give no carbon output, so they are a great alternative to fossil fuels. A further benefit of solar panels is that whatever energy we do not use, gets pushed to the national grid meaning others can benefit from the green energy we are producing!
In order to ensure we are truly committing to a Net Zero future, we need to ensure that we also support those who are thinking likewise. Therefore, we are making conscious decisions to only buy from suppliers and service providers who are also aligned with a future Net Zero target wherever possible. We are also actively working to offset our carbon emissions by introducing a large number of new plants in and around our office, not only does this actively convert CO2 to Oxygen aerating the office, but also provides new habitats for bugs and insects. Going forward we plan to commit to further carbon offsetting contributing to local and national reforestation and renewable energy initiatives.
A big factor in ensuring our Net Zero plan can be successful is to ensure adequate training is provided to all employees across the company from the service desk to our higher management. Training will include awareness of existing sustainability programs such as reforestation schemes. Also encouraging everyone to take more environmentally proactive stances in everyday life, whether that be to recycle food and waste, or to walk instead of drive where possible. These actions are encouraged both at home and in the workplace.
To reduce the carbon emissions of employees travelling into the office, MIT has adopted remote working options for all staff. This not only reduces emissions from commuting but also saves everyone the cost of fuel. We have emphasised the use of virtual meetings over physical meetings in the workplace which was proved successful during the pandemic, so has been adopted as the preferred format going forward.
We are actively and continually analysing the expected lifecycle of our environmental monitoring hardware. Where possible we are repurposing existing hardware for other means that would otherwise cause the hardware to become obsolete. We are also making every effort to find new hardware that provides design improvements, while also being more ecological as well as economical. Our equipment is shipped in eco-friendly/recyclable packaging and if recycling at the end of the equipment lifecycle is not possible, equipment is disposed of responsibly.
We will continue to monitor and report on all progress towards MIT’s Net Zero goal. All findings whether they show improvements or failures in our goals towards Net Zero will be shared regularly with all stakeholders. This provides transparency and accountability over all actions MIT make towards a Net Zero future.
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