(Expansion) – Nowadays we have all heard about climate change and we have witnessed how every year there are stronger hurricanes, longer droughts, more devastating floods, and record extreme temperatures, to mention some of the consequences of global warming due to the increase in the generation and concentration of greenhouse gases.
To this we would have to add the increasing loss of biodiversity and the disproportionate generation of pollutants and waste, which together are the triggers for the environmental crisis we are currently experiencing, and which affects all ecosystems, of which people we are also part
And if we analyze the studies on climate change that various researchers and organizations have published in recent years, we will realize that it will be increasingly difficult to achieve the goals of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and even 2 °C, which have been discussed and agreed internationally, if action is not taken in a rapid, coordinated and extensive manner.
Consequently, it is necessary to implement measures that not only seek to compensate, but also significantly limit and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are being emitted into the atmosphere; adopt commitments based on science-based goals and targets; and deploy concrete and forceful strategies and actions in the short, medium and long terms.
As a frame of reference, we can take the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which serve as a guide to leave no one behind, focusing on the development of people, the planet and prosperity and contributing to the generation of a culture of peace through alliances; and that in the face of climate change it contemplates moving towards an accelerated decarbonization of the economy; promote the creation of green jobs and sustainable and inclusive growth; invest in technology and sustainable solutions; comprehensively address climate risks; and achieve cooperation between sectors and at different levels, among other lines of action.
For each of these elements, governments can design public policies, laws and regulations, as well as incentives to achieve a favorable environment so that the private sector carries out sustainability actions and strategies that permeate and transforming their business models, in a complementary way to all the projects and programs that have been triggered by civil society organizations.
However, we cannot merely focus on the environmental side and lose sight of the human side, since climate change is not a phenomenon far removed from our daily lives, but rather, on the contrary, it is also having an impact on health and well-being of people, in their quality of life, in their development, in their heritage, in the emergence of migrants and climate refugees, etc.
Therefore, it is essential to reflect on our contribution to both the problem and its solution, since we cannot be passive actors and leave the issue in the hands of government institutions, companies, or civil society organizations, but They must build bridges between all sectors, to generate synergies and collaborative actions that allow aligning objectives, joining efforts, increasing the scope or scale of actions, and enhancing positive results and impacts, both at a personal and institutional level.
In this sense, we are all called to action against climate change, to ensure the development of people, their communities and organizations, starting with small actions at home, being aware of the environmental repercussions of our purchase and consumption decisions, and acting accordingly, looking for more sustainable alternatives and pressuring organizations to trigger the change towards more responsible models around the common good.
Editor’s note: Jorge Reyes Iturbide is a specialist in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development and for 17 years has worked for various companies and national and international organizations on research projects, consulting, development of standards and executive education on the subject. He is currently Director of the Faculty of Social Responsibility and Director of the IDEARSE Center of the Universidad Anáhuac México. Follow him on and . The opinions published in this column belong exclusively to the author.
