We have been repeatedly told that “The future is in your hands’ when it comes to climate change, this note of caution has been passed from generation to generation but with climate change and its impacts ringing loudly in our ears the statement becomes more poignant than ever.
Tackling climate change head on would require a new perspective to be taken by industries, services and even our own personal attitudes. Perhaps, the most important step would be to make the shift from fossil fuels to greener alternatives for energy. This includes solar power, hydro energy and green hydrogen, amongst the possibilities.
Along with the shift, governments and other stakeholders across the globe will have to come up with new technologies and ways to make green energy more affordable.
Cleaner environment, more jobs
A report titled ‘Low-emission Workforce’ released by consultancy group Deloitte said that the shift towards renewable energy would create 300 million new jobs by 2050 for the “green collar” workforce.
Green collar workers are the employees working in a “green” company that uses cleaner, more sustainable energy sources and products. Companies would need to upskill their current workforce to create “green collar” workers as they already possess 80% of the skills required.
The employees will live in a more responsible and clean society as several countries pledged to attain net zero carbon emissions by 2050 at last year’s COP summit in Glasgow.
Asia Pacific- Biggest to gain
The survey further revealed that the highest number of jobs will be created in the Asia Pacific region. It will generate 180 million new jobs as companies make a foray into consuming green energy.
This will be followed by 75 million jobs in Africa, 26 million in the Americas and 21 million in Europe.
Need of the hour? More investment
Shifting towards green energy would require a substantial amount of capital. The equipment would need to change. The technology would need to evolve. And workers will require upskilling.
This would require more investment from the private sector and support from the public sector. The governments will have to ease the rules and regulations. In several countries, especially in Southeast Asia and Africa, governments would also be required to provide subsidies to help new businesses in emerging.
More leaders would be required to interact with the people and tell them about the urgency of the matter. People will have to be alerted about the situation and about the need to change.
For all this, capital inflow is a must.
At COP27, apart from the governments, several agencies and commercial banks have also gathered to discuss the need for money. They are wholeheartedly discussing the changes required in the national policies as well as the global policies to bring about a change.
But, it still needs more.
The Future is in YOUR hands
At COP27, delegates will be asked to pledge to lend a hand wherever they can to help make this shift a little bit easier for everyone.
From capital to workforce, it really is in our hands to support the world with the resources it requires to transform itself and make it a safer and cleaner place to live for future generations to come.
Not only that, green energy has something for everyone. For businesses, it holds great promise to diversify revenue generation, while increasing the global footprint. (And well, reducing the carbon footprint!)
In regions like Asia and Africa, which have huge population sizes, the opportunity to grow is immense. And most of the governments in the region are actively promoting green energy with huge, meaningful subsidies and other support systems.
Today, at COP27, let’s all collaborate to make this world a better place to live today for a brighter future tomorrow.