Climate Change & Ecolutions

Climate change is a very complex issue. Policymakers need information about the causes and possible socio-economic consequences of climate change as well as the best possible ways to mitigate it. Climate change caused by mankind will significantly influence many fields of business in the next 50 years, as well as fundamentally modify the numerous customs, dogma and paradigms. In addressing climate change, the new mechanisms will evolve.

Ecolutions considers the importance of climate change and invests globally in businesses and projects that profit from working in this field.

Background

In the new UN Climate Report presented in early February, climate change is mentioned for the first time as an indisputable fact. As the report makes it clear, the consequences of climate change are dramatic. A steady rise in temperature is postulated even if no greenhouse gases like CO2 (carbon- dioxide) are emitted.

An increase in the average temperature of 1° Celsius induces the following changes:

  • small glaciers in the Andes vanish leading to the water supply of 50 million people being at risk
  • 10% of all land animals are becoming extinct, and an additional 300,000 people per year die from diarrhoea, malnutrition and malaria
  • 1.3 billion people suffer from malnutrition
  • 12-15 hectare forest vanishes each year on the southern hemisphere from fires and logging
  • a third, maybe half, of earth’s surface is endangered by desertification
  • several populous regions (Bangladesh, nearly all South Sea islands) are disappearing into the water

An increase in the average temperature of 5° Celsius (equal to temperature difference from last ice age to now) would induce the following changes:

  • the oceans become more acidic
  • the Himalayan glaciers would vanish completely
  • increasing sea levels would threaten cities like New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo
  • food maintenance would break down completely
  • billions of people will have no living space

An increase of 2° Celsius is considered inevitable. The aim is to prevent an increase of 5° Celsius.