2021 could be considered the year when climate and sustainability entered the mainstream. So what are the prospects for 2022?
In 2021 extreme weather disrupted millions of lives. The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) signalled a “code red” for humanity, according to UN secretary-general António Guterres. High-level climate and biodiversity negotiations ended on a mixed note. Despite frantic dealmaking and a slew of exuberant announcements, climate negotiations at COP26 didn’t culminate in a clear path towards mitigating the climate emergency. A damning Climate Action Tracker report published during COP26 found that current national commitments could lead to global warming of 2.4°C by 2100, well above the 1.5°C target.
So what are the prospects for 2022? And in particular, where do we see critical progress emerging in the five key areas of Economist Impact’s Sustainability Project?
- Net-Zero & Energy
- Resilience & Adaptation
- Circular Economies
- Ecosystems & Resources
- Social Sustainability
Read my full blog contribution to The Sustainability Project, written with my colleague Phillip Cornell, here.