Nature at the heart of decision making - World Environment Day
“In the universe are billions of galaxies, in our galaxy are billions of planets, but there is only one Earth”. That is the message of this year’s World Environment Day, celebrated annually on the 5th of June. This year is special as it marks the 50th anniversary of the UN Conference on the Human Environment – the 1972 Stockholm Conference which led to the development of UNEP and the decision to mark World Environment Day.
World Environment Day is the United Nations’ flagship day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment. In the last five decades, it has grown exponentially to become the largest global platform for public environmental outreach and is celebrated worldwide. This year heavily emphasises the need to live harmoniously with nature and bring about sustainable, transformative changes to our social and economic systems by placing nature at the heart of decision making.
Inger Anderson, Executive Director of UNEP, said “Today as we look to a present and a future of heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires, pandemics, dirty air and plastic ridden oceans and yes, wars, action is more important than ever, and we are running against the clock. And this is on all of us. This means politicians who see beyond the election cycle to intergenerational wins. This means financial institutions that finance the planet. This means businesses that account for nature. This means a just and clean energy transition. This means people making smarter choices on what we eat, what we wear and how we live. And this means cities, where we can breathe. And this means legislators who protect the human right to a healthy environment.”
As we stand at this critical juncture, some industries are making strides towards incorporating the environmental needs of the planet into their value chain. An example can be seen within the concrete and cement industry - the GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Association) have launched their ‘Innovandi Open Challenge’, a programme focused on the development and deployment of innovations to decarbonise the industry, leading to carbon neutral concrete by 2050. This would be quite the feat with the industry contributing an estimated 8% of global CO2 emissions.
One of the key initiatives within the Innovandi Open Challenge is the implementation of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) related innovations. MOF Technologies are contributing to the challenge. Our Nuada carbon capture technology is one of six global finalists chosen to partner with cement industry heavyweights to further develop and deploy our technology.
Find out more about MOF Technologies' participation in the Innovandi Open Challenge here.
While decarbonising the cement industry will have a significant impact, this level of innovation and deep decarbonisation must be supported and extended to all facets of industry if we are to achieve our ambitious, yet necessary, Net Zero pledges for the planet. The versatility of our Nuada carbon capture system means that we are ready to support the sectors that are prepared to do their bit and make the necessary changes to minimise their carbon footprint.
The 1972 Stockholm Conference had a message and, 50 years later, the message remains the same. There is “only one Earth”. While, during those 50 years, we have continued to abuse the planet in many ways, we have also gained the mindsets and innovations that can help change the course of climate change. Through industrial innovation and climate targets, government policies which bring forward green and sustainable legislation, and collective ambition, we can put the environment at the heart of our decision making and help protect our one Earth.
We feel that The Earth Anthem, penned by poet Abhay K, sums up the sentiment beautifully:
Our cosmic oasis, cosmic blue pearl
the most beautiful planet in the universe
all the continents and all the oceans
united we stand as flora and fauna
united we stand as species of one earth
different cultures, beliefs, and ways
we are humans, the earth is our home
all the people and the nations of the world
all for one and one for all
united we unfurl the blue marble flag.
Find out more about our Nuada carbon capture technology: