Keep fossil fuels in the ground. We need to leave at least 80% of our coal, oil and gas deposits alone if we want to prevent warming above 1.5 degrees. The UK should stop all new licences for fossil fuel extraction including in the North Sea.
Switch to electric vehicles fast. Electric cars are much cleaner and over their lifetime comparable or even cheaper in cost than petrol or diesel cars. Following campaigns by Friends of the Earth and others, the UK government has set a date of 2030 by which all new cars should be low carbon.
Be energy-efficient citizens. We need to reduce global energy use by around 50%. The government should provide householders with grants to fit insulation and low carbon electric eco-heating. A local authority area-by-area programme would be the most efficient and cost effective way of doing this. A Fair Heat Deal which promises to ensure that fitting eco-heating is no greater than replacing a gas boiler is needed.
Use renewables to power the world. The UK is leading the way in off-shore wind but only a third of our electricity comes from wind and solar. And we'll need much more electricity to power transport and heating as electric vehicles and eco-heating take-up increases. In the UK we should be building 14GW of renewable energy every year - equal to installing around 10 wind turbines every day.
Change our diets. Meat production results in extremely high greenhouse gas emissions and is a major driver of deforestation and the destruction of nature. In the UK we need to halve the amount of meat we eat by 2030 to help reduce greenhouse emissions. Less but better meat production globally would allow a significant increase in the amount of forests. This would be a boon for biodiversity – and forests also take carbon out of the air.
Double the area of forests and restore habitats in the UK. Trees suck carbon dioxide out of the air. In the UK we don’t have enough of them. Doubling the area of forests in the UK and restoring peatlands and wetlands, such as saltmarsh, would help address climate change and support nature.
Stop funding fossil fuels overseas. The UK and other wealthy countries have a long-track record of funding fossil fuels abroad. The G7 announced in 2021 that it would stop funding coal-plants but not that it would stop funding gas. Wealthy governments need to switch all their energy funding to renewable energy. In addition they need to compensate poorer countries for the damage caused by climate change (so-called Loss and Damage) and provide the climate finance promised.
Empower women. Gender equality, secondary education for all girls, and sexual and reproductive rights for women are fundamental human rights; absent in too many parts of the world. They are necessary so that women can fully contribute to tackling climate change and adapting to it, including in politics, policy and lifestyle choices.
Create an equal world. The 1 billion wealthiest people in the world consume most of the world’s resources. If we are to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all 8 billion people on our planet, we need to share our resources more fairly.
All these changes will lead to a better world. But they will only happen if people everywhere put more pressure on politicians, businesses and investors. We must also curtail the influence of the fossil fuel industry and others lobbying against action.
