ACCELERATING
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

It all started in the 90s when international conferences took up a crucial issue of sustainable development. Decades after discussing climate-related challenges, now governments, people and corporations are actually assessing and contributing to the sustainability journey of the planet. The target set to lower the global temperatures is one such step. Such initiatives have turned people’s heads towards ever-pressing issues of global warming and associated challenges.

Here, often we are stormed with a sea of information that we focus majorly on the context rather than the significance of terms on an individual basis. Sustainability, climate change, net-zero, carbon emissions are the buzzwords. The context remains the same as that of climate change but fundamentally they are different. Everyone, including companies, tend to understand the climate lingo but hardly they are clear about the goals. Read on further and know the difference among the concepts of carbon-neutral, net-zero and climate positive.

Carbon neutral:

As the name suggests, carbon-neutral is the balancing out of carbon emissions from your firm. It is more like owning a complete responsibility for one’s own carbon emissions. Corporates and companies need to assess and analyse their carbon emissions. Such analysis gives an idea about the number of carbon emissions that need to be balanced out. It is then that firms plan to come out carbon neutral by saving an equivalent amount of carbon emissions somewhere else in the world.

Net-zero:

The Net-zero concept is a simple concept of balancing out the net emissions created. Here emissions are of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide. These levels are reached when anthropogenic emissions balance out with the help of pre-determined activities.

Climate Positive:

It lies in that much-awaited stage in the sustainability journey, wherein companies or entities tend to remove an additional amount of carbon from the atmosphere. It has reached the level of achieving net-zero emissions and now stands beyond the same. This term is often used interchangeably with climate negative.

Is your company carbon neutral or climate positive or has net-zero emissions?

Well, after knowing these are different and important concepts, a firm needs to introspect about these. Raising these questions can help us achieve our environmental goals faster. Prior to that, your company needs to analyse emissions. Accordingly, you can set realistic goals and plan a roadmap. For the same, consult a team of professionals dealing in the same.

Hopefully, tech giants and corporates are taking steps towards assessing their goals and contributions. However, a lot needs to be done collectively on this pressing issue, until we balance out our needs with our climate’s needs.

Forest carbon credit considered as a non visible forest product” that can be a viable alternative source of income for forest landowners. It’s a metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), of whichthe emission is newly sequestered and is purchased by GHG emitters as a cost-control measure to make up for emissions occurring elsewhere.

Managing forests for carbon emission offsetting gives the world the opportunity to reverse or at least sequestered the emissions that they have already made or they are about to make into the atmosphere. The total GHG emissions are increasing rapidly. Most of the GHG emissions of all time have been done in the last 40 years of our existence. More GHG emission mean climatic shifts which leads to intensive droughts somewhere and acute floods in other areas of the world. Because of those blindly done deforestation which hampers the smooth functioning of the forest and gets in the middle of the process of habitats having their share of biodiversity.

Researches around the world point to a fact that forests can play a vital role in mitigating the inimical effects of climate change and can help in putting a shackle on this ever-increasing global warming. Quality and Quantity of herbs, restoring the disbalances caused by humans in nature, water as a resource in quantity & quality, providing wildlife a habitat to call home and protecting biodiversity in that habitat.

Forest & Carbon Offset

To get an understanding of the carbon offset markets, we need to know how CO2 is measured and traded for various purposes. CO2 being the major contributor as the GHGs in the atmosphere, promoting global warming. All other gases are not actually come that much into consideration because CO2 is more easily measurable that others. The carbon unit in which it is measured is “metric tons of CO2 Equivalent” often seen written as MtCO2e or tCO2e & also called as “Carbon Credit or Carbon offset”. Currently sellers of carbon offsets are majorly forest landowners who are looking to opening up different forest-based revenue streams by helping out the GHG emitters in exchange of a handsome payday.

Carbon Marketplaces

There are two distinct types of carbon markets; voluntary and compliance markets

Carbon markets are divided into two subdivisions – voluntary &compliance markets.

Voluntary markets exist where companies or individuals buy carbon credits for purely a voluntary basis. Many companies voluntarily purchase carbon credits to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment and to demonstrate corporate social responsibility.

Voluntary markets are there for the individuals and companies so that they buy the credits for the sole purpose of showcasing their concern towards the environment, its well-being and their willingness to go above and beyond to correct it. It fulfils their commitment to live up to the corporate social responsibility they owe to the society.

Prices for the carbon offset in voluntary market, globally, can fall anywhere between a wide range.Forest authorities & land usage projects are somewhat larger voluntary carbon project categories than any other kind. There are numerous factors that influence the price determination of carbon credits at the very point in time for e.g.,the type & location of project that is put up against asking for the credits, additional deemed project benefits that will play out to be an influencing factor, marketing efforts & many others.

The emission stays within limit as it is cancelled out by the very nature of the deal and there is no margin left to betray the environment in any case.

Compliance Carbon Market

Compliance carbon markets are such marketplaces through which “regulated by the cap & trade” entities obtain & surrender emissions allowances or better known as ‘offsets’ in order to meet predetermined regulatory targets.

In case of cap & trade programs; participants i.e., both emitters and intermediaries such as financial institutions; both are allowed to trade allowances to make profit from the unused allowances or for meeting regulatory requirements.

The tropics, a region encircling the Earth's equator, have long been perceived as lush rainforests with exotic animals and unchanging weather. However, they are also often associated with poverty, unstable governments, and environmental destruction. A new report, "The State of the Tropics," provides a deeper and more nuanced understanding of this diverse region.

Changing Perceptions

Historically, the tropics were misunderstood, with Aristotle even claiming that no civilization could thrive there. The report calls for a shift in perspective, urging recognition of the tropics from within and embracing local wisdom and experience. Compiled by 12 institutions, this comprehensive 400-page report delves into demographics, health, science, economics, biodiversity, and climate change..

Population Growth

Currently, the tropics are home to 40% of the world's population and 55% of children under five. Population growth is particularly rapid in Africa. By 2050, over half of the global population and 67% of young children will reside in the tropics. The region is expected to add 3 billion people by the end of the century, necessitating a rethinking of global priorities in aid, development, research, and education.

Economic and Social Challenges

A booming population drives increased demand for food, water, and resources. Tropical economies are growing 20% faster than those in temperate regions but still house two-thirds of the world's extreme poverty. While extreme poverty has decreased in Southeast Asia and Central America, it has doubled in Central and Southern Africa since the 1980s. Despite these challenges, there have been improvements, including a decline in undernourishment, rising life expectancy, and reduced maternal and child mortality.

Health Issues

The tropics face unique health challenges, with diseases like dengue fever and malaria remaining significant threats. These diseases are rarely found in temperate regions but are major health concerns in tropical countries.

Land and Environmental Struggles

Growing populations and consumption have led to land-use clashes. Indigenous groups struggle to maintain control over their lands as corporations seek resources for agriculture, livestock, and commodities. Conservationists are working to preserve vital ecosystems, as the tropics host 80% of Earth's terrestrial biodiversity and 95% of mangrove and coral reef biodiversity. Unfortunately, forest loss continues, especially in Oceania.

Oceanic Pressures

Marine resources in the tropics, including coral reefs and mangroves, face unprecedented pressures. Overfishing and destructive practices have depleted species. Mangroves, crucial for coastal protection and carbon storage, are being rapidly destroyed for aquaculture and development. Climate change and ocean acidification further threaten these ecosystems.

Future Challenges

Climate change poses significant challenges for the tropics, including extreme weather, rising seas, and changing precipitation patterns. These changes could impact agriculture and increase the number of refugees and regional conflicts. The tropics are expanding into temperate zones, which will have implications for water resource management and agricultural systems.

Conclusion

The future of the tropics is one of rising influence and wealth, alongside ongoing struggles with poverty, hunger, health standards, biodiversity, climate change, and resource conservation. The report emphasizes the importance of sustainable development and conservation to safeguard resources for future generations. The tropics hold great potential and influence, making it crucial to address these challenges thoughtfully and effectively.