By Suhyeon Um, Seohyun Park, Suji Yun, Yeonji Lee, Bohun Kang
University YMCA in Seoul (Climate Crisis Team), YMCA Korea
Human society has entered the golden age thanks to the development of technology. However, as technology advances, Mother Earth’s faith is heading in the opposite direction. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), under the United Nations (UN), announced that there is a 66% likelihood that the global average temperature will exceed the 1.5°C reference point by 2027. So, what should humanity do to deal with the climate crisis?
In our daily lives, many of us might be familiar with climate actions that we can all practise, such as recycling, reducing disposable products, using public transportation, and avoiding meat products. However, resolving the climate crisis solely through individual efforts is a challenge.
Greenhouse gases, a direct cause of the climate crisis, are primarily generated in energy sectors such as oil and coal power plants, and most of the energy resources are consumed in the industrial sector. It has been stated that 20 global companies account for 35 per cent of the world’s total carbon emissions, and the top 10 Korean companies’ greenhouse gas emissions account for 46 per cent of the country’s total carbon emissions. Additionally, most of these companies were found to be major energy corporations or state-led power generation energy companies.