If a new deal is signed at the Glasgow Climate Change Summit, you may wonder what it means for you.
Here are some ways that the decisions made at COP26 can change your life.
Switching to electric cars is one of the many lifestyle changes we might make. Experts assume that a new electric car will cost as much as a new petrol or diesel car in the next five years. However, it is also possible to rent electric vehicles, and there is a growing market for used cars where these vehicles are cheaper.
Dozens of countries, regions, and car companies have agreed to increase the use of electric vehicles and import new, zero-emission buses and trucks. Meanwhile, others argue that we need fewer cars on the road – more walking and cycling may be one of our changes.
How can the average family afford an electric car?
More than 40 countries have joined the elimination of coal. This figure shows that clean energy is the most reliable and affordable option to power our homes and businesses. For countries like the UK, this means another shift to renewables like wind and solar. And possibly a greater reliance on nuclear power.
COP26 does not have a breakthrough message to oblige the world’s largest coal consumers such as China and India to stop using it. However, we hope that the announcement in Glasgow will signal to the market that it is worth investing in renewable energy.
Solar panels and heat pumps can become standard in our homes. We will build new homes with low-carbon alternatives to cement and concrete and reassemble the old ones. The focus is also on ensuring that our buildings, infrastructure, and communities are resilient to climate change’s current and future impacts.
Eva Hinkers, Director of Sustainable Development at Arup, said: “We also need to ensure that [the buildings] are suitable for more extreme scenarios.” This could include increasing green spaces in and around our homes to absorb extreme rainfall, installing “cool roofs” that reflect sunlight and prevent overheating, or installing curtains to help homes withstand hurricanes.
The way we live contributes to CO2 emissions, regardless of buying imported groceries or going on vacation.
In the future, we may see the price of a product’s carbon emissions added to the price we pay, whether it’s made in the UK or not.
So unless the company tries to reduce emissions from the goods it sells, the price may have to go up. We hope this will lead consumers and businesses to rethink how we consume and invest our money. In response, some of the biggest names in the world like Amazon, Unilever. And Ikea have now announced that they want to make sure the cargo ships they use to ship goods use cleaner fuels.
Nature’s role in fighting climate change and the need to restore spirit – from forests to swamps – are high on Glasgow’s agenda, and we can see the benefits of green spaces in our cities. “Nature can help us here if we show the respect it deserves,” said Dr. Emily Schuckberg of Cambridge University.
The case for space for nature is more transparent and robust today than ever, said Craig Bennett, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts. “Now there is a new impetus for the need to … protect forests and other valuable habitats and restore nature.”