Tag: sustainability

• Positive Climate News

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  With the climate crisis and unsteady politics, there is a lot of negative media regarding sustainability, so I thought I’d share some climate wins to reinstate some positivity.

  Africa’s Solar Future

  

  Since 2014, Africa’s capacity for solar energy has grown hugely, but today, 75% of off-grid solar products are out of order, resulting in energy access issues. Despite this, SolarAid is training “solar entrepreneurs” to be able to repair solar devices to extend their lifespan. Repairing rather than replacing adds another layer of sustainable development to this initiative whilst creating jobs within the local community.

  UK closed its last coal-fired plant

  The UK was the first to use coal for public power generation, a major industrial revolution driver. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power plant, in Nottinghamshire, was the final coal-powered plant to close. Furthermore, by the end of 2030, it is expected that energy sources will account for almost half of all electricity, adding an additional 5,500 GW of renewable energy capacity. Of this renewable energy production, it is estimated that China will produce half.

  

  Ocean Protection

  

  Pacific Indigenous leaders have formed a new treaty which deems whales and dolphins to officially be recognised as “legal persons”. This protects whales from cross-ocean shipping as they are recognised as living, non-human subjects rather than objects. Ships are the leading cause of whale deaths and majorly disrupt communication, navigation and feeding as vessels create a sound barrier within the water.

  Decrease in Amazon Deforestation

  In 2024, deforestation within the Amazon reached its lowest rate in 9 years, with a 30% reduction from the previous year. This was a result of increased legal action against illegal logging and land grabbing. Unfortunately, the degradation of the forest increased due to wildfires, covering nearly 40,000 km2.

  

  11th Feb 2025

  Climate Change, Deforestation, Energy, environment, News, Renewable Energy, sustainability, Sustainable Development

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• Women in Sustainability

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  Women are often put down for their ability to be empathetic. It’s seen as a sign of weakness, and, therefore, they are rejected from high-responsibility roles. This is a huge mistake made by businesses every day, as only 19% of leadership roles are held by women globally. We are letting opportunities slip through our fingers to protect the egos of those who perceive the world to be theirs.

  Despite job opportunities within sustainability rising, corporations, much like the BBC, referred to female jobs in sustainability as a ‘trend’, but we’re here to make a difference, not tick a diversity box. Our ability to empathise means we care for society and the environment, we place our value on the earth, not the money we extract from it. However, this does not give males an excuse to ignore the issues we cause and excel the gender responsibility gap. Males are not above taking responsibility, especially since their actions as leaders have caused the problems Earth faces today. This is not to say that all women care about our Earth and not a single man takes responsibility, but those acting to make change are predominantly female.

  Having said this, it is important to have women in sustainability roles, as they are usually disproportionately affected by unsustainability therefore, their involvement in sustainability decisions ensures policies and strategies developed are responsive to their needs, enhancing equity. Furthermore, having more female leaders within a business improves productivity and efficiency as they provide diverse knowledge, skills and problem-solving opportunities. This leads me to introduce Inger Hanssen-Bauer, a Norwegian climate scientist and head of the Department of Meteorology and Climate at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, is a leading female scientist. At the beginning of her career, working at the Norwegian Polar Institute, she noticed there was a clear line of communication between the male scientists, but the same could not be said for the females, as she was the only one, making her feel isolated as she was often left out of important communication channels. Despite this, Hanssen-Bauer is now undertaking some of the most important research to better understand climate and environmental change.

  We, as women, can make important and necessary changes, but we are often dismissed from the opportunity, so, if you are in a place of influence, use it to empower women and make a powerful change.

  “Men who are truly role models, don’t need to put down women to make themselves feel powerful” – Michelle Obama

  20th Dec 2024

  Climate Change, Eco gender gap, environment, Female, Female Empowerment, Female Leaders, gender, Leadership, sustainability, women

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