Kick the Habit: A UN Guide to Climate Neutrality

What we use and produce Beyond the emissions we cause directly for example by driving a car or heat- ing our home, there are other obvious ways to slim down our production of greenhouse gases, in particular by reducing the climate impact of the goods we produce and use. The virtuous cycle of steadily reducing emissions will result from a more critical approach to consumption . That in turn will benefit from better and When calculating the climate impact of the goods and services we consume, it is crucial to look at every step in the product’s life. A system, or life cycle, can begin when extracting rawmaterials from the ground and generating energy. Materials and energy are then part of manufacturing, transportation, use (wearing and washing the T-shirt, for instance), and eventually recycling, reuse, or disposal. A life cycle approach demonstrates how our purchase and use of a product are only part of a whole train of events. Having the whole life cycle of a product in mind helps us make conscious choices when buying electricity, meat or a new T-shirt. Then we may recognize that we do have an influence on what happens at each of these stages, letting us balance trade-offs and positively affect the economy, the environment, and society. There are well established Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques which are part of the ISO 14000 environmental management standards, namely ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 which can help your business identify the overall im- pact of its products. The authors of the GHG Protocol, Carbon Trust and the WRI, are working on guidelines for life-cycle assessment of GHG emissions more efficient product design, offering objects which perform better and with less energy, and which last longer before they need to be replaced. Obsolescence will become something to avoid, not a desirable feature built into a product to encourage bigger sales. There is also a need for global solidarity to achieve climate neutrality. The developing countries do not need the developed countries’ old, energy-hun- gry equipment, provided to them just because exporting it is an easier way to get rid of it and even makes some people feel virtuous. The climate diet will not work if inefficient devices remain in use. You will reduce your own emissions, yes, but at the cost of unnecessarily increasing someone else’s. Better keep your old machine as long as it is worth it, then recycle it and buy a more efficient replacement. At the same time, in the developing world, do not encourage the use of old equipment, but support the introduction of the latest available technology worldwide.

THE CYCLE – REDUCE KICK THE HABIT

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