We’re doomed! – but only if we don’t stop consuming our planet’s resources at an untenable rate

We must all act swiftly to reduce our impact on the Earth or face catastrophe, warns Sarah Stone

The Earth is in trouble. The influential Inter governmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services( IP BE S) has just published the first detailed examination of the state of our planet’s biodiversity since 2005.

It is the work of more than 400 experts from over 50 countries, and its findings paint an ominous picture of a planet that is rapidly deteriorating. We are consuming resources and polluting the planet at an unsustainable rate. Human activity has resulted in the severe alteration of more than 75 per cent of Earth’s land areas. Over one million species of plants and animals are facing extinction. Sixty-six per cent of the oceans which cover most of the planet’s surface have suffered significant human impacts and

there are more than 400 so - called ‘dead zones’ where virtually no life survives.

At the same time the planet is getting hotter. In October, 2018 the UN Inter governmental Panel on C limate Change (IPCC) announced that we need to keep the average global temperature increased own to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels if we want a planet our children can live on. Given that the planet is already one degree warmer than it was during the years 1850 -1900 that doesn’t give us much room for manoeuvre.

It might not sound like much but a temperature rise of even half a degree would be catastrophic. In order to stop the world warming up by more than 1.5 degrees we need to cut carbon pollution by 45 per cent by 2030 and get it down to net zero by 2050.

2030 is just 11 years away. After that, it will be too late.

The scale of the challenge ahead massive. There’s no way the kind of systemic, large scale industrial and sector-wide change we need can be done without government intervention. The way we live our lives must change significantly. Massive funding and policy initiatives will be required in order to force necessary changes in consumer behaviour and stimulate new technologies. It will be painful and expensive.

But we can’t leave it all to government. Governments are slow; policymaking and implementation takes time the planet doesn’t have. We have 11 years. It took the IPCC three years just to write their report. Almost all the mechanisms that control the change we need are held by the pri

vate sector. CEOS and business leaders can implement initiatives which make obvious sense without waiting for legislation to force them to do it.

Trees remain the most powerful to ol we have in removing carb on dioxide from the atmosphere. As well as ending deforestation we need to plant billions of them. If you own land and property get the Woodland Trust to help you plant trees around your offices, factories, shops and business premises. If your business operations are global support social enterprises like One Tree Planted who are having a transformational impact in regions that have been badly impacted by deforestation.

Reduce the amount of meat, and meat-related products you sell and supply. Have entirely meat-free days in your canteens. Scrutinise your sup