If you are like the rest of us here at TreeEra you probably can’t wait to say ‘see ya later’ to 2020. Between all of the trials and tribulations of this dumpster fire of a year, there has been some amazing headway gained in the area of climate action and a visible shift in the global focus towards sustainability. So let’s start 2021 out on a positive note by highlighting the best sustainability news of 2020.
China declares its ambition to be carbon neutral by 2060.
President Xi Jinping surprised the world this year by announcing that China will drastically reduce its emissions and reach net-zero by 2060. China is the world’s biggest polluting nation and this commitment could have a significant impact on limiting global temperature rise with this big news. This announcement also could have the knock-on effect of spurring other states to make bigger and bolder climate goals.
The U.S. will rejoin the Paris agreement.
With the transition of Trump out of the Oval Office, the United States will officially rejoin the Paris accord on Joe Biden’s first day in the hot seat. With the climate agenda clearly a keystone policy of Biden’s platform, it looks like a greener future for the U.S. and the world. Within the next 100 days, Biden says that the U.S. will also host a climate summit alongside major nations to discuss how to combat the biggest planetary threat we are facing today. Way to go Joe!
U.N. experts urge the world to end intensive animal farming & deforestation.
This year has been a real eye-opener for the delicate relationship that exists between humans and wildlife. To prevent a surge of pandemics in the future the world’s leading academics and experts have expressed that we must take action now to end intensive animal agriculture, deforestation, and the wildlife trade in this U.N. report. This year also saw a highly reputable study published on our global food system that encourages the world to make a drastic shift towards plant-based diets to reduce our carbon footprints.
200 global firms pledge net-zero emissions by 2050.
Consumer demand for corporations to become ethically responsible in their sustainability initiatives has been increasing rapidly over the past few years. Money talks and this has seen a positive effect on 200 of the biggest companies who have committed themselves to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050 as members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
The long list of big businesses includes Chevron, Equinor, and Shell. The new rules also include setting goals to contribute to nature and biodiversity recovery.
With the end of 2020 insight and a rapidly evolving shift in attitudes towards positive climate action in the global arena, it looks as though there may be light at the end of the tunnel after all. Here’s to hoping 2021 brings a better year for all and we continue down the right path towards a sustainable and safer future.