The health strategist
institute, portal & consulting
for workforce health & economic prosperity
Joaquim Cardoso MSc.
Servant Leader, Chief Research & Strategy Officer (CRSO),
Editor in Chief and Senior Advisor
January 17, 2024
This executive summary is based on the article “2024 Must Be the Year for Exponential Climate Action”, published by TIME and written by Laurence Tubiana and Katherine McKenna, on January 16, 2024.
What is the message?
As the critical milestone of 2030 approaches in the global fight against climate change, urgent and exponential climate action is required to prevent catastrophic warming.
Despite the looming threat, the world is currently on a trajectory towards 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius warming, far exceeding the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree target.
The article stresses the imperative to make 2024 the year of decisive and accelerated climate action.
ONE PAGE SUMMARY
What are the key points?
Immediate Course Correction:
The need for a drastic shift to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is emphasized. The U.N. Secretary-General describes the current emissions gap as a “canyon,” demanding immediate and exponential climate action.
Five Exponential Actions for 2024:
Implement the IEA Net Zero Pathway: Emphasis on tripling reliance on renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency, cutting methane emissions, and increasing electrification as outlined by the International Energy Agency.
Phase Out Fossil Fuels: Recognizing the imperative for a managed phase-out of fossil fuels, aligning with COP28 commitments, and heeding calls from 127 countries and influential coalitions.
Scale Financing to the Global South: Urgent scaling up of capital for renewable energy projects in the Global South, with a focus on trillions, not billions, and innovative climate finance sources.
Align National and Subnational Net Zero Action: Stitching together and elevating the climate ambition of critical subnational actors, businesses, financial institutions, cities, and regions.
Empower People: Making 2024 a year where public voices take precedence, urging citizens to support parties with ambitious climate policies and emphasizing the significance of collective actions, especially by women.
What are the key examples?
Examples include global efforts to tackle methane emissions, initiatives by countries like the EU, US, and Canada, and the leadership role of women in climate action, despite the lack of female heads of state in COP28.
Conclusion
The urgency of climate action in 2024 is stressed, with the article calling for an end to the fossil fuel era and the implementation of five exponential actions.
The significance of global collaboration, financial restructuring, and empowering individuals, particularly women, is underscored.
As the world faces numerous national elections, the article urges citizens to support leaders committed to robust climate policies, emphasizing that 2024 must be a year of unwavering and impactful action rather than mere resolutions.
To read the original publication, click here.
