Jul 29, 2024
Temperatures across the Earth are hitting new highs, with the latest reports indicating that 2024 could surpass 2023’s record-breaking heat worldwide. The global average temperature in 2023 was 14.98° Celsius, 17 degrees higher than that of 2016, the previous highest annual value.
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service monthly bulletin showed that rising global temperatures in the past 13 months since June 2023 were the planet’s hottest since records began. The temperature in June 2024 increased by 1.50°C above the estimated June average since the pre-industrial period (1850-1900). This is a few points shy of the 1.45° Celsius average in 2023, based on six reputable datasets referred to by the World Meteorological Organization.
Record-Breaking Ice Melts and Sea Level Rises
As the WMO points out, these temperature rises triggered other dangerous phenomena. One is ocean warmth, with marine heatwaves affecting almost a third of oceans daily in 2023. Ocean warming melted glaciers and ice sheets—particularly in Europe and Western North America, leading to higher sea levels.
Antarctica’s daily and monthly sea ice extents were at their lowest in February 2023. Meanwhile, the Arctic recorded its lowest sea ice extent for the year in September. Also, new research from the UK’s Newcastle University showed that the Juneau Icefield between Alaska and British Columbia has been shrinking five times faster in recent years.
As to sea levels, NASA pegs the average increase worldwide at 0.3 inches from 2022 to 2023. The agency says the total rise is like draining 25% of Lake Superior in the US-Canadian border into the ocean over a year. Its report added that the global average sea level has risen 4 inches since 1993 or 0.17 inches per year.
What are the primary factors behind this worsening warming trend? And what actions are people taking amid this climate crisis? Discover the top climate change drivers and various ongoing sector initiatives to help the Earth cope.
Planet vs. Plastics: How Plastics Contribute to Earth’s Warming
Over 99% of plastic production uses chemicals from fossil fuels, contributing to over 75% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Around 60% of the emissions occur during production, while 29% and 11% happen during distribution and disposal.
The world’s plastic production averages 430 million tonnes annually. Two-thirds of this volume consists of chocolate bar wrappers, crisp packets, or one-off-use meal utensils discarded in minutes or within the day. That is because packaging is the industry that consumes the most plastic worldwide.
| Industry | Consumption Volume as of 2021 |
| Packaging | 44% |
| Building and construction | 18% |
| Automotive | 8% |
| Electrical and electronics | 7% |
| Household, leisure, and sports | 7% |
| Agriculture, farming, and gardening | 4% |
The latest data from Statista shows flexible plastic and rigid plastic come behind fibre (paper and cardboard) as the most widely used packaging material.
| Packaging material | Distribution worldwide |
| Fibre | 33% |
| Flexible plastic | 26% |
| Rigid plastic | 19% |
| Metal | 12% |
| Glass | 6% |
| Other | 4% |
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1428026/global-packaging-materials-type-market-volume-share/
To break it down further, the top three in-demand plastic segments are polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyurethane.
| Plastic Type | Examples | Revenue Share |
| Polyethylene | Shopping bags, bottles, and toys | 24% |
| Polypropylene | Pipes, raincoats, and automotive parts | 20% |
| Polyurethane | Insulation and refrigeration | 17% |
Sources: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-plastics-market
https://www.precedenceresearch.com/plastics-market
Figures from earthday.org for its 2024 “Planet vs. Plastics” campaign show that manufacturers produced over 500 billion plastic bags in 2023. In the US alone, consumers bought 100 billion plastic bottled beverages in the same year. Meanwhile, plastic packaging worldwide reaches 141 million tonnes annually, with 5 million tonnes entering the UK’s consumer market yearly, based on BusinessWaste.co.uk data.
The fashion industry also contributes to emissions due to plastic use. Almost 70% of materials used to make clothes—particularly polyester and nylon—are plastic. Other synthetic fabrics made from plastic include polypropylene, acrylic, spandex (elastane), fleece, rayon (viscose), and velvet.
Other Top Contributors of GHG Emissions
Besides plastics production, various activities produce varying levels of GHG emissions. Here are the industries that emit the highest levels of Earth-warming gases:
| Sector | Breakdown | Total |
| Energy | Coal 21%Natural gas 7%
Oil 1% |
29% |
| Industry | Oil and gas 6%Iron and steel 5%
Cement 5% Chemicals 4% Coal mining 2% Refining 1% Other industries 7% |
29% |
| Agriculture, land use, and waste | Livestock 7%Crops 6%
Landfills and waste 4% Land use and forests 2% Agri fuel combustion <1% |
20% |
| Transport | Road 12%Ships 2%
Aviation 1% |
15% |
| Buildings | Residential 4%Refrigerants 2%
Commercial 1% |
7% |
Source: https://rhg.com/research/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2022/
· Energy industry
Utility companies burn fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, and coal, to generate electricity and heat required by households, transportation, factories, and construction firms. Additionally, shipping contributes to nearly 3% of emissions, while aviation accounts for about 2%.
Coal demand jumped in 2023 amid robust electricity demand and low hydropower output in China and India. It accounted for about 70% of the growth in global emissions from energy combustion that year.
· Industrial processes
Fossil fuel extraction and materials production release greenhouse gases into the air. Cement production alone contributes to about 25% of all industrial CO2 emissions. Glass, detergent, and soap manufacturing are also carbon-intensive sectors.
· Agricultural sources
Emissions come from animals bred on the farm (like when cattle burp/belch), manure management, fertiliser production, field burning to grow crops, and fuel use on farms. Nitrogen fertiliser-making and use alone contribute approximately 5% to GHG releases.
· Land conversion
Deforestation to convert lands into urban real estate reduces the number of trees that can soak up carbon dioxide. The machines used for tree-cutting also produce GHG, besides using fossil fuel. At the same time, roads and concrete lead to the “urban heat island effect,” which makes city living feel hotter.
· Waste
Food and solid (plastic, rubber, or metal) waste generate emissions, whether they are incinerated or brought to landfills.
How Nations Fare on GHG Emissions and Climate Change Efforts
Each person contributes to global warming individually. Residents in high-income countries can emit 30 times more carbon dioxide than those living in low-income areas.
| Location | Per Capita CO2 Emissions, 2022 |
| High-income nations | 10.1 tonnes |
| Upper-middle-income nations | 6.2 tonnes |
| Lower-middle-income nations | 1.8 tonnes |
| Low-income nations | 0.3 tonnes |
Global Carbon Budget figures featured in an Our World in Data report show that high and upper-middle-income nations recorded a higher emissions share than their population. These countries contribute to 80% of the world’s CO2. Meanwhile, lower-middle to low-income nations emit less than 20%.
| Areas by income levels | Share of Emissions (from fossil fuels and industry), 2021 | Share of Population |
| High-income countries | 34.4% | 15.4% |
| Upper-middle-income countries | 47.4% | 32.2% |
| Lower-middle-income countries | 15.2% | 43.1% |
| Low-income countries | 0.5% | 8.8% |
Source: https://ourworldindata.org/inequality-co2
The 2024 Climate Change Performance Index—which ranks 63 nations and the EU based on their efforts to mitigate global warming—shows that only India, Germany, and the EU made it as “high performers” (overall) among the G20 nations. In the regional grouping, 15 members got low or very low ratings, with Canada, Russia, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia in the lowest rank.
In scoring nations for their actions to curb GHG emissions, India and the UK received a high rating among G20 countries. Meanwhile, the US, Canada, South Korea, and China were among the very low performers. Saudi Arabia got the lowest score.
Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) CO2 Emissions in 2023 report shows the top emitters’ output for the past two decades. Their emissions for 2023 were:
- China: 12.6 gigatonnes (accounts for 35% of global emissions)
- US: 4.5 gigatonnes
- India: 2.8 gigatonnes
- EU: 2.5 gigatonnes
- Japan: 1 gigatonne
Support for Climate Action
In the UK and Ireland, climate change has resulted in more frequent and intense autumn/winter rainfall and downpours during storms, particularly between 2023 and 2024. The Met Office reported that the storms recorded from October 2023 to March 2024 were 20% more intense than the pre-industrial period. In its Carbon Brief report on the UK’s 2023 climate, the agency described the year as the nation’s “second-warmest on record,” (or since the 1960s) with the annual temperature averaging 9.97C.
A May 2024 YouGov survey shows a growing concern about climate change’s impacts. Britons who were very (25%) and fairly (41%) worried about climate change and its effects outnumber those who are not very worried (19%) or have no worries (12%) about the issue. The majority (73%) believe human activity caused this phenomenon while 15% say humans are not behind it.
Meanwhile, here’s how they responded when asked whether they would support or oppose the government if it enforced policies on the following:
| Policy | Strongly support | Tend to support | Total Support | Tend to oppose | Strongly oppose | Total Opposition | Don’t know |
| Tougher regulation on the amount of packaging for products sold online and in shops | 47 | 37 | 84 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Banning all single-use plastic | 36 | 40 | 76 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 8 |
| Only allowing renewable energy to be produced | 24 | 37 | 61 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 14 |
| Increase Fuel Duty tax, which tax drivers pay on fuel | 8 | 15 | 23 | 29 | 37 | 66 | 11 |
| Blanket tax on all airfares, raising flight fares by 50% | 9 | 15 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 62 | 14 |
| Introducing strict rules on home energy efficiency | 28 | 41 | 69 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 13 |
Source: https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/Eurotrack_ClimateChange_May24_W.pdf
UK vs. US Climate Change Views
UK-based residents are more urgent about solidarity on climate action than their US counterparts. Findings from the People’s Climate Vote 2024 by the UNDP—which surveyed over 73,000 people in 77 nations—showed that 84% of UK respondents believe their government should strengthen climate commitments. The figure is higher than the 66% recorded among US-based participants. Moreover, 90% of people surveyed in the UK said working together internationally on the issue was a priority, lower than the 80% who said the same in America.
Serious action sought by those in the UK may be driven by the percentage of those who recently experienced extreme weather (50%) compared with US survey-takers (34%). More Britons (76%) consider protection from weather events a priority than residents in the US (57%).
Climate Anxiety Grips the Rest of the World
A UNDP article discussing the highlights of the People’s Climate Vote mentioned above says that 53% of people worldwide are more anxious about climate change in 2024 than the previous year. Of the 69% who factored climate issues into their residential and work decisions, 74% came from the least developed countries. The percentage was lower in Northern America (42%) and Northern and Western Europe (52%).
Meanwhile, poll respondents in nearly 40% of nations surveyed by IPSOS for its “Global Views on Climate Change” report fear of impending displacement due to climate change. Turkije (68%), Brazil (61%), India (57%), Malaysia (53%), and Indonesia (51%) dread this likelihood in the next 25 years.
In light of these worries, 86% of people worldwide surveyed by UNDP want governments to collaborate. At the same time, respondents believe that other actors also played key roles:
- Big businesses (14%)
- The United Nations (13%)
- Campaigners and activists (12%)
- Faith and community leaders (6%)
Ironically, poll participants from the world’s top 20 CO2 emitting countries call for stronger commitments to fight climate change effects. The highest percentage was in Italy (93%), followed by Mexico, Iran, and South Korea (88% each).
Climate Change Denial
In the US, climate change denialism—or the belief that the phenomenon isn’t real—is prevalent in the central and southern states. The findings came from an AI-aided University of Michigan research analysing over 7.4 million tweets from 2017 to 2019.
The results revealed that 14.8% of Americans are “deniers,” swayed by influencers led by former President Donald Trump and Republican Party members. Researchers also found a connection between denialism and scepticism of science (low anti-COVID shot rates), education/income levels, and the regional economy’s reliance on fossil fuels for energy production.
However, beliefs within states can vary. For example, in Hockley County, Texas, denial rates go as high as 67%, although the state-wide percentage is 21%. Meanwhile, in California’s Shasta County, deniers make up 52%, but less than 12% of the state’s population deny climate change.
“New” Denialism
In 2024, the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) reported a new form of denialism. Following an analysis of 12,058 YouTube videos from 2018 to 2023, CCDH researchers discovered that the deniers’ narrative has shifted to casting doubt on climate solutions. Worse, they portray global warming as harmless or beneficial.
| “Old” Denial | “New” Denial |
| · Climate change is a matter of “natural cycles.” Human-generated greenhouse gases aren’t causing global warming.· Extremes aren’t increasing.
· The weather is cold; heading into an ice age. |
· The impacts of global warming are harmless or beneficial.· Climate science/movement is unreliable.
· Clean energy won’t work. · We need energy. · Policies are ineffective. |
However, the CCDH study showed denialism isn’t confined to the US. The research includes the results of a survey done by Survation among UK respondents aged 13 to 17. The London-based polling firm found that 31% of participants agreed with the belief that “Climate change and its effects are being purposefully overexaggerated.”
The Silver Lining: Transitions and Investments
The world seems to be waging a losing battle against climate change. The 2023 Production Gap report states that governments plan to produce 110% more fossil fuels in 2030 than would align with the UN goal to limit global warming to 1.5° C. The figure, cited by researchers led by the Stockholm Environment Institute with support from the UN, represents the overall increase in the rise of coal (460%), gas (82%), and oil (29%) output. These findings come amid a fossil fuel phaseout that 198 member-states agreed to during the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in 2023.
However, initiatives by public and private sectors send the message that climate change mitigation is worth fighting for. Clean energy and funding are paving the way for a slowdown in CO2 emissions.
Clean Energy
London-based energy think tank Ember said in its Global Electricity Review 2024 that renewable energy generated 30% of the world’s electricity needs, a new record high for the sector. Solar energy (about 307 terawatt-hours, up 23%) became the top new power source for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, drought caused hydropower generation to dip to a five-year low (4,210 TWh, down 14.3%), forcing users to resort to coal-run power suppliers.
| Source | Generation Rise/Decline |
| Wind and solar | +513 TWh |
| Hydro | -88 TWh |
| Other clean (bioenergy and nuclear) | +68 TWh |
| Fossil | +135 TWh |
https://ember-climate.org/app/uploads/2024/05/Report-Global-Electricity-Review-2024.pdf (page 14)
Climate Financing
Morningstar reported on Earth Day (April 22) 2024 that global sustainable funds grew 8.2% to $3 trillion by the end of 2023. Moreover, new financing worth nearly $900 million came in the first quarter of 2024.
Some key national and international investments include:
- The US Inflation Reduction Act to reduce carbon pollution earmarks over $370 billion for energy tech innovations.
- At COP28, the UK government announced adding GBP40 million to extend the Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) programme until 2029. CFA funds low carbon projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Global climate tech startups have a combined value of $2.5 trillion in 2023. The industry’s segments are the third-most funded worldwide, according to data and intelligence provider Dealroom. Investments to each sub-sector in 2023 are as follows:
| Industry/Vertical | Investment |
| Transportation | $19B |
| Energy | $12B |
| Industry | $9B |
| Food | $6B |
| Real estate | $5B |
| Blue economy (maritime and ocean sectors) | $3B |
| Climate fintech | $1B |
| Carbon (management/reduction tech) | $1B |
| Biodiversity | $490M |
Source: https://dealroom.co/guides/climate-tech
High-growth segments include electric mobility (electric cars, bikes, and buses), EV batteries, regenerative agriculture, hydrogen startups, direct air capture, and wind energy.
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