The climate emergency requires action now

How many of you bought a desk fan this week? As we swelter in conditions in the UK, which are nothing compared to the ‘Hell’ elsewhere in Europe, we’re reminded that climate change is not an obscure, up-for-debate issue but a situation unfolding all around us in the here and now. And an Eton-mess dessert protest is really the least of your worries.

Why we’re not doing more to save ourselves is a question asked by some. Nicky Hawkins, writing in The Guardian, points to communications science which suggests that the way our brains are wired, jumping to a ‘we’re screwed’ conclusion is preferable to thinking out the problem and devising solutions. Was it ever thus, or have we become desensitised to crises, and programmed to using our faculties for momentary gratification?

This week as many as 15,000 people are expected to march in London, demanding action on climate change. The Climate Coalition is calling for policies to be introduced which will make the UK government’s recent pledge for net zero emissions by 2050 achievable, with the likes of a massive investment in clean energy generation for example, which support that green ambition in ways other current plans do not.

Clara Goldsmith, campaigns director at the Climate Coalition, said: “The government’s decision to set a net zero target in law was clearly a response to calls for action from voters which have grown louder and louder in recent months. Now we need our politicians to put policies in place to deliver on that target, as well as measures to clean up the air we breathe and the plastic in our seas.

According to Phil Taylor, head of engineering at Newcastle University: “Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions is necessary, feasible and cost-effective, but UK policy is still way off the mark and the foundations are not in place to be able to meet this target. Even with all the evidence before us we are still opening new coal mines, extending Heathrow airport and pushing forward with fracking. We have unambitious building regulations, and our drive to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2040 is too late.”

Back to communications science, and the research shows that language matters: “When Martin Luther King inspired a nation and the world he led with the dream, not the nightmare… This is not the story being told about climate change. Instead we’re stuck in a climate disaster movie – and it’s not even a very good one. The threat is complex and can feel remote, but we’re told the chances of survival are slim. There are constant warnings but few heroes in sight. Our response is predictable: we switch off or we change the channel.”

We work with plenty of freelancers and clients who are making positive changes through innovation and creativity. There are many examples of the big players in the O&G industry that are really engaging in a renewable future – companies like Royal Dutch Shell, Total and BP. Admittedly, in some cases it will not be altruistic (ok, it’s business, it’s never wholly altruistic) but rather the result of people-power as stakeholders, and investors increasingly pressurise boards of fossil fuel companies to reduce emissions, and spend more on low-carbon energy.  Nevertheless, their ability to invest in green energy projects will pay off for smaller companies.

According to CDP, a climate-focused research provider, Europe’s oil majors account of around 70% of the sector’s renewable capacity and nearly all the capacity under development today. Shell reportedly leads the group, taking $1- 2bn next year from its overall budget of up to $30bn to spend on clean energy tech.

As this grows, and innovation creates solutions, we’ll celebrate the good that is happening. We will act as cheerleaders for our freelancers who support these initiatives and our clients who engage with the issues and show positive leadership to others.

God knows we need it!