One of the biggest international issues of our time is climate change. Last year was the nation’s hottest month on record by a large margin and possible the world’s best in the last 100, 000 times.
By then, it is well known that greenhouse gas emissions are the cause of climate change, which makes multi-country renewables attempts particularly urgent.
However, we also need to make sure we do n’t fall victim to” carbon tunnel vision,” which means focusing solely on emissions while ignoring other interrelated issues that are responsible for climate change.
For instance, we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, mostly caused by human activity. Between 1 000 and 10 000 times higher than the rate of biological death are currently occurring.
In addition, wildlife lost threatens up to one million species as well as invaluable communities. As ecosystems decompose, it further aggravates climate change by affecting the capacity of the Earth to self-regulate and disrupts normal carbon phases in land and sea.
Another linked problem is serious consumption, which is increasing at an alarming rate, mainly in higher- income countries. In fact, solutions are being squandering tools ‘ potential at a rate that is beyond the scope of our planet.  ,
Overconsumption is a major contributor to the climate crisis, as well as the lack of resources that makes it difficult to implement specific environment options.
For instance, the numerous devices and appliances we use and replace frequently use similar rare earth metals that are needed for solar panels, wind fields, and electric cars.
Luckily, many of these problems may be solved in combination. To ensure the continuation of progress into the future, two things are needed: social resolve to implement change and transformative education on sustainable growth.
Social courage is needed at all levels, including at the regional, position, national, regional and global levels. Different nations can continue to advance if certain potent nations are preventing progress.
The European Union forgeted the European Green Deal by reversing 99 climate laws and regulations while Trump was president, which briefly removed the US from Paris.
During this time, China even emerged as the world’s largest producer of solar energy. Moreover, in 2020, The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People launched the 30×30 program to protect 30 % of Earth’s land and ocean place by 2030, with over 50 countries signing on by January 2021.
If one degree is in a deadlock, progress can also proceed at various levels. Partners from all industries can and do work to advance climate agendas if federal gridlock is preventing the passage of legislation.
For instance, after Trump withdrew from the Paris deal, over 1, 200 US states, cities, tribal governments, companies and institutions pledged their support for the Paris Agreement and committed to weather action in the presence of national authority.
A group of 25 children and youth in Colombia fought back by suing their country’s government for thwarting deforestation, and the resultant verdict was historic.
And the Science Panel for the Amazon has been created by over 240 scientists, two-thirds of whom are from Amazonian nations.
Second, ensure that people across generations are educated and knowledgeable about the pressing issues facing our planet by ensuring that they are educated and knowledgeable about the complex environmental and social challenges of today.
Education for Sustainable Development ( ESD ) is a vibrant field that aims to impart the fundamental principles and values of sustainability to everyone. The next generation now has the fundamental skills and tools to continue working toward a sustainable future through ESD.
For example, the Global Schools Program has trained over a 1, 000 teachers and engaged 176, 000 students in ESD. Meanwhile, the Laudato Si Movement, brought about by Pope Francis ‘ encyclical, has inspired and mobilized Catholics all around the world to care for the environment and achieve ecological justice.
A problem as grave and significant as climate change cannot be resolved through one method, such as emissions reductions. Instead, it will require parallel progress on multiple fronts, as well as political stability and transformative education for sustainable development.  ,
Life on Earth continues to be interconnected, and all living things and systems around us are inextricably linked to one another. Let us keep in mind this upcoming Earth Day that we require interconnected solutions to solve interconnected issues, and that progress for one equals progress for everyone.
Justin Liew works for Sunway University and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network as a research analyst.