The problem

It can be difficult to find time for environmental considerations in our busy lives. But we must act now.

Global warming is causing climate change, with more extreme and destructive typhoons, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, droughts and wildfires. These are destroying homes and agriculture, spreading disease and causing migrations.

On 21 March 2023, an IPCC report gave a clear, final warning – we must act now to limit the damage, loss and death that comes from global warming.

The outlook is grim, but we can improve it. Everyone’s actions can make a difference, saving more land from sea or desert, more homes from floods and fires, more lives from hunger and disaster.

But is it really for UK ELT, a sector of small and medium businesses, to take on this huge, global problem? If you are not convinced, please read: Why should you care?

Business as usual = disaster

We are already seeing more extreme weather, water scarcity, forest fires, floods and heatwaves, we keep breaking temperature records and adding more names to the extinction list, and there is only more to come. 1.3°C increase in average global temperature is already causing chaos and threatening the habitability of our planet – and we are on a track for 2.7°C.

In the world we are creating, two-thirds of our large cities will be lost to the sea, intense wildfires will burn, including in Europe, and tropical diseases will thrive in warmer oceans. We are already in the sixth mass extinction (human made) and seeing a widening gap between the richest and poorest.

But you are here now! Together, we can improve the outlook if we make the changes this emergency demands and encourage our colleagues to do the same. Take action now.

Join a growing movement

Awareness of global warming and the destruction of nature has grown massively over the past ten years.

We have seen Fridays for Future / the Youth Strike for Climate grow from one to several million young people around the world; Extinction Rebellion’s civil disobedience and activism spread from the UK to 45 countries; and the EU and a number of other countries have declared a climate emergency.

Education is about creating a better future, individually and collectively. As well as reducing the environmental impact of our own operations, we can influence and inspire others to act positively. Let’s demonstrate our responsibility to a generation that will live with the decisions we make now!

The changes we make will take time to take effect so we must act decisively now. (more info)

Resources