Why Focus on Zero-Emission Technologies?
Understanding the urgency of climate action and our role in facilitating net zero-emission investments along the Silk Road.
Climate Change: The Biggest Health Threat
Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. Climate impacts are already harming health through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, pressures on mental health, and increased hunger and poor nutrition in places where people cannot grow or find sufficient food.
While climate change cannot be stopped, it can be slowed. To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we'll need to reach "net zero" carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.
Understanding Net Zero
The term 'net zero' refers to the target of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming to zero by balancing the amount released into the atmosphere with the amount removed and stored by carbon sinks. This is also described as 'carbon neutrality' or 'climate neutrality'.
Organizations need to focus on accelerated digitalization to help decarbonization and emissions reduction, and to drive innovation. The urgency of the global transition to a net-zero economy, focused on solutions that enable the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, cannot be overstated.
The Paris Agreement Target
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated in 2018 that the world needs to reach net zero by around 2050 if it is to meet the 2016 Paris Target Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Silk Road Partners' Role
Silk Road Partners endeavours to play an active role by facilitating the achievement of this target via investment advisory and development of strategic partnerships along the Silk Road.
Time for Action
Europe and the rest of the world have a huge backlog versus China in net zero-emission technology manufacturing capacity. This will require drastic investment in innovation but also forging strategic partnerships and collaboration along the Silk Road.
EU policies alone will not help us move forward. The business and investment community needs to take the lead in scaling and cross-border collaboration and motivate governments to support them.