Here are the ten most important things we need to do now to fix climate change:
- Start taking action now, without delay. The longer we wait, the harder and more costly it will be to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
- Build political will among governments, businesses, and civil society to support and implement effective climate policies and measures.
- Eliminate fossil fuels as the main source of energy and greenhouse gas emissions. This means phasing out coal, oil, and gas production and consumption, and ending subsidies and investments that support them.
- Accelerate the adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal.
- Shift towards sustainable transportation modes such as public transit, cycling, walking, and electric vehicles.
- Adopt planet-friendly agriculture practices such as organic farming, agroforestry, permaculture, and regenerative agriculture.
- Eat a more climate friendly diet that is low in animal products and high in plant-based foods. This means reducing the consumption of meat, dairy, eggs, and fish, which have a high environmental footprint, and increasing the intake of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, which have a low environmental footprint.
- Create sustainable cities and buildings that are energy-efficient, water-efficient, waste-efficient, and resilient.
- Protect and restore our environment by conserving natural habitats, restoring degraded ecosystems, and enhancing ecosystem services.
- Ensure global warming stays below dangerous limits by limiting the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, preferably to 1.5°C. This means following the science-based targets and pathways outlined by the IPCC and the Paris Agreement on climate change.