To keep global temperatures rising by 1.5C, we need to cut emissions by 30 gigatonnes of greenhouse gases every year until 2030.

30 gigatonnes = 30 billion tonnes

A car will produce around 24 tonnes over its life cycle

So 30 gigatonnes are equivalent to 1.25 billion cars. 🧵👇
We obviously can't get rid of 1.25 billion cars every year until 2030.

So how do we reduce emissions by 30 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas each year?

The good news is smart folks have figured this out.

If we focus on just 6 sectors, we can do it. 👇
Sector 1: Energy

The energy sector can cut emissions by 12.5 gigatonnes annually. And we don't have to wait for any new inventions!

We can do it by shifting to renewable energy and being more energy-efficient.

E.g. solar panels, wind turbines and LED light bulbs.
Sector 2: Industry

Industry can cut emissions by 7.3 gigatonnes annually.

Industry can do this by embracing passive or renewable-energy based heating and cooling systems, improving energy efficiency and fixing other pressing issues like methane leaks.
Sector 3: Agriculture, Food and Waste

New food production solutions can reduce emissions by 6.7 gigatonnes annually.

And shifting diets to a more plant-based (more sustainable diet) and reducing food waste can reduce emissions by more than 2.0 gigatonnes annually.
Sector 4: Nature-based solutions

By halting deforestation, halting the destruction of ecosystems and restoring them, the world can reduce emissions by 5.9 gigatonnes annually.

This would also improve air quality water quality and improve rural economies.
Sector 5: Transport

Transport is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, and that's set to double by 2050 if we don't act.

The excellent news is 4.7 gigatonnes per year could cut emissions by:

• shifting to electric vehicles
• Walking and cycling more
Sector 6: Buildings and cities

By 2030 buildings will account for 12.6 gigatonnes of energy-related emissions. Most of those buildings haven't been built yet!

By making cities and buildings fit tomorrow and updating existing buildings, we can reduce emissions by 5.9 gigatonnes.
The information in this thread is from the UNEP emissions gap report.

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More from @PaulEDawson

Jan 30
I only post about climate change, so why am I posting a video of a gate?

Watch the gate carefully.

It's a perfect metaphor for how an incentive system should work. So here's how we can align incentives to reduce emissions! 🧵👇
Think of the gate as being the tap for greenhouse emissions.

The default position is closed. The spring on the hinge exerts a force on the gate, pushing it to shut.

We need to exert pressure on fossil fuel producers to close the taps.

Here's how we do that. Image
Governments subsidise fossil fuels by $11 million a minute.

Removing subsidies will make fossil fuels compete with renewables, and they will lose.

At the same time as removing subsidies, we need to alleviate the hardship caused by the temporary higher fuel prices on citizens.
Read 7 tweets
Jan 29
Tackling climate change isn't just about averting disaster.

It's also about making the future better than today.

We need an optimistic vision of the future that makes us jump out of bed in the morning excited to put the work in to make it a reality.

🧵👇
9 in 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air, and 8.7 million people die due to air pollution from burning fossil fuels.

Imagine a future where you have clean air no matter where you live.

Transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewables will give us this future.
Governments are subsidising fossil fuels by 11 million dollars a minute.

Imagine this money being spent on health or education or even just given back to taxpayers.

This is what is possible in a world powered by renewables.

So what would you do with your share?
Read 5 tweets
Jan 28
Conservative's should be furious about the subsidies paid to fossil fuel companies!!!

Analysis by the IMF shows that fossil fuels receive $11 million a minute of subsidies. This is equivalent to 6.8% of global GDP, and it is forecast to rise to 7.4% of GDP by 2025.

🧵👇
A very good conservative argument could be made that the money used to subsidize fossil fuel production would be better off as tax cuts.

Surely you, the taxpayer, know better than the government (or fossil fuel companies) how to spend your money?
I raise this not because I have a problem with 'big government' but because it would be much better to discuss how best to transition away from fossil fuels, and the more brains we have on this, the better.

What do you think?

#ClimateAction #KeepItInTheGround
Read 4 tweets
Jan 25
The biggest reason we are in the climate and biodiversity crisis we're currently in is:

GDP growth

We are focused on measuring something that doesn't mean what most people think it means.

Let me explain

🧵👇
GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product

Essentially it's a measurement of all the economic activity in a country during a given period.

Add up the total value of all the goods and services sold, and that's your GDP.

Almost every country is trying to grow their GDP
The problem is GDP doesn't measure, what's been lost!

Only what's created.

This made sense in World War 2 when we needed to build tanks and aircraft as fast as possible for our survival.

Let me explain how destruction adds to GDP growth 👇
Read 7 tweets
Jan 7
Roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year - approximately 1.3 billion tonnes - gets lost or wasted.

Food waste is responsible for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

#ClimateChange #Ship30for30

Learn more...
🧵👇
In the United States, 30% of all food is thrown away each year. In addition, around half of the water used to produce this food also goes to waste.

Losses throughout the entire agricultural, retail and domestic system in the U.S. amount to around US$95 billion a year.
The lost or wasted food in Latin America could feed 300 million people.
Read 11 tweets
Jan 6
A few days ago, I shared my plans for writing more over the coming year. However, I didn't explain why I made these plans.

I think we should be talking more about solutions to climate change and how tackling climate change can improve lives today.

🧵👇
I want to be proactive:

Writing more and engaging more with others is in my control. Some might ridicule my writing and ideas, but others might find them interesting and perhaps inspire them to take action themselves.
We need to begin with the end in mind.

I think this has been missing in the discussions about climate change. There is no doubt that a +2.0C world would lead to more human suffering and deaths. However, this doesn't need to be our future; renewable's can give us clean air today.
Read 10 tweets

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