Do you remember your first toy or a blanket that you could not sleep without when you were young? How you wanted to take good care of it because it meant the world to you and how angry you would be if you were unable to find it for your comfort. Now, try to picture that favourite item as Mother Earth. After all, Mother Earth is literally our world.
The Great Barrier Reef, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.
Image Credit: https://theincentive.org/2020/04/08/new-survey-confirms-bleaching-of-the-great-barrier-reef-influenced-by-climate-change/
Sadly, due to warmer seas caused by climate change, the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995. With global temperatures already rising by 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times, the UN underscores that 90% of the world’s corals would die out if global temperatures were to rise by another 0.5 degree Celsius. This would mean that we were not able to take care of our favourite toy.
The map, detailing coral loss on Great Barrier Reef, shows how mortality varies enormously from north to south. (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Climate change has not only resulted in corals dying but in fact have been behind the most devastating natural disasters in recent years. Right before the Covid pandemic hit in 2020, Australia was hit with one of the world’s worst forest fires. More than 10 million hectares were burnt down. To put things into perspective, that is equal to the size of 140 times Singapore’s area. Moreover, there have been several cases reported worldwide of natural calamities caused in recent times due to effects of global warming- from South Asia being hit by deadly floods to Central America and East Africa being hit by severe droughts, leaving farmers with no means to support themselves and put food on their table to the world’s biggest iceberg measuring 4,320 sq km breaking off of Antarctica.
Image Credit: Drought in East Africa (https://www.oxfam.org/en/5-natural-disasters-beg-climate-action)
The UN has been pivotal in bringing awareness among people, especially corporate companies that can help in large scale for different environmental causes- Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water and Life on Land. These 7 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are primarily pertaining to the environment directly. However, if we see it from an overall perspective, all of the UNSDGs are related to the environment in one way or the other.
Environmental conditions impact several layers of our ecosystem which we may have taken for granted or not noticed in our everyday life- starting on the grassroot level for how farmers can support themselves in the current unpredictable weather conditions to get out of the poverty cycle? Or how can we make our way to everyday living with extreme weather conditions (like rising temperatures) - travelling to school or commuting to offices and more. The one question we all must ask ourselves is how can responsible choices not only help us grow the economy but also restore our ecosystem- the most valuable asset we must protect and take care of.
What “sustainable choices” should we make on this Environment Day other than the individual responsibility of using recyclable bags when going to the supermarket or refusing the use of plastic straws and more…there is so much more that can be done on a larger scale, especially by corporations.
Market for Good, a B2B marketplace helps corporations procure sustainably for their requirements- helping them make informed decisions and sustainable choices. As a B2B tool, we believe that corporations hold immense power to make a huge difference in the world. Companies alone are equivalent to countless individuals, thus by changing your procurement ways, you are making a much bigger impact. The crucial bit is making a change and impacting is one side of the story but to make an everlasting impact one must measure, monitor and report to see the growth and effects.
With that being said, World Environment Day is an extremely important day for everyone. Falling on the 5th of June every year, it reminds us that our fight against climate change has not yet been lost.
“Reimagine. Recreate. Restore. We cannot turn back time, but we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, change our diets and clean up rivers and coasts. We are the generation that can make peace with nature. Let’s get active, not anxious. Let’s be bold, not timid.”, quoting World Environment Day 2021 with the theme of “Ecosystem Restoration”.
To know how you can make a difference or start the journey of better choices, log in to Market for Good and access products, workshops, experiences and services you can leverage from - eco products locally produced items from different regions, off-setting your carbon footprint to workshops and training on various environmental causes.
This World Environment Day 2021, we can all do our part to save our teddy bear aka Mother Earth. As an individual, you may think you are just 1 in 7 Billion people, making your efforts small. However, if everyone takes that small effort to make a difference, it is going to become a big difference. #WorldEnvironmentDay