(Commonwealth Union)_ It is simple for benefactors to forget that people are at the center of the climate change issue amid all the serious discussion about fossil fuels and low-carbon solutions. People are responsible for it, they suffer from it, they influence policy in both good and terrible ways, and in order to achieve genuine progress, they must be persuaded to place climate change at the top of their list of urgent concerns. Without “the active and enthusiastic engagement of citizens”, net zero emissions could not and would not be realized, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2021 Net Zero by 2050 study. Following this report last month was the IPCC WG3 mitigation report, which claimed that a concerned public could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40–70% by 2050.
In order to achieve net zero, individuals must actively participate and use low-carbon technologies, alter their behavior (such as installing solar water heaters), demand governmental changes, and invest in the necessary infrastructure. Governments, however, do not feel the political pressure to immediately enhance their goal in reducing emissions without public support. As long as businesses can encourage high-carbon behaviors, they will also lack motivation to commit to the drastic emissions reductions required.
Given the severity of climate change and the breadth of its effects, adaptation must also be carried out on a larger scale. We must increase the adaptability of our economy and communities to the effects of climate change. Large-scale initiatives will be needed to do this, many of which will be coordinated by governments. It could be necessary to construct or modify roads and bridges to withstand hotter weather and more intense storms. It may be necessary for certain coastal communities to set up mechanisms to stop flooding in the streets and subterranean transportation. Landslides and overflow from melting glaciers may need mountainous regions to find solutions to their problems. It may even become necessary for certain communities to relocate since it will be too difficult for them to adapt.
