December 2024 Climate Update

No Snow in Finland: In early December, Lapland, a region of Finland largely in the Arctic Circle, would typically have 20-30cm of snow on the ground, but, due to unseasonably warm and wet weather conditions, much of the region is entirely snow-free at the moment. Finnish Lapland had its warmest summer on record this year and temperatures have continued to be milder than average in Autumn and Winter. The lack of snow impacts animals and plants, and the local tourism industry, with many tourists cancelling their trips if they cannot take part in snow-based activities.

Historic Shift Towards Renewable Energy: For the first time, investment in solar power is higher than investment in oil, marking a historic shift towards renewable energy. As solar panel costs continue to fall, making it a more affordable option, and solar technology becomes more efficient, over $1 billion is being invested in solar power every day. Unlike oil, a fossil fuel, generating electricity from solar does not generate greenhouse gas emissions. Solar power can also be used to help bring electricity to remote communities without having to connect them to a national energy grid.

Climate Literacy of School Leavers Report: Research commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) in 23/ 24 has been published, assessing the level of climate literacy of school leavers (Year 11) in England. The survey was conducted with a sample of 522 Year 11 pupils and provides evidence of the state of climate awareness of young people and keys gaps in climate education. Some key findings are:

  • The 1.5°C / 2°C climate goals are poorly understood. Many young people thought that the climate had already warmed more than this.
  • The concept of Net Zero is poorly understood, despite it being used widely by media, schools, politicians and employers.
  • Most school leavers are “fairly concerned about climate change.” We should continue to make sure the focus is on making young people “concerned and hopeful” as this will lead to effective individual and collective climate action.  
  • Young people have low awareness of climate change in the UK, including projected impacts on the UK and what adaptation and mitigation are already in place or will be needed in the UK.
  • A significant proportion of young people do not appreciate that future global warming can still be limited or avoided, highlighting an opportunity for increasing hope and awareness of climate action amongst young people.
  • Young people’s awareness of green careers and renewable energy could be increased.
  • Young people place high trust in their teacher’s understanding of climate change, highlighting the importance of giving teachers time and support to stay up to date with climate developments.
  • There is still a high level of confusion between climate change mitigation strategies and other sustainability issues, such as plastic pollution.

For further reading you can view and download the report on the Gov UK website, or visit the Royal Meteorological Society news page for an excellent overview. Additionally, as part of your ECO2 Smart Schools support an OASES Officer can visit your school to deliver climate and energy workshops to your pupils or staff training. Please contact us to book in a workshop or training.

November 2024 Climate Update

Typhoons in the Philippines: The 2024 typhoon season in the Philippines was extraordinary, with 24 named storms, including six typhoons, hitting the country. This is significantly more than the average three storms and one typhoon that the country typically sees during the season. The huge increase in the number of typhoons and storms affected over 13 million people and put a huge strain on resources and infrastructure. Many of these extreme weather events also fell back to back giving little or no time for repairs and preparation. In response to the 2024 typhoon season, the Philippines government is investing in improving emergency responses and adapting infrastructure to prepare for future extreme weather events.

Update on Brazil’s Pledge to End Deforestation by 2030: In June 2023, Brazil’s government, led by President Lula, unveiled an action plan to eliminate illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. The Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon will boost the use of intelligence and satellite imager to track criminal deforestation activity and provide incentives for conservation and sustainable forest management. Degraded forest will be recovered, and more native plants and trees will be planted across the country.

The Amazon rainforest is home to three million species of plants and animals and one million indigenous people. Indigenous leaders have welcomed the plan but have stressed that more areas need full protection from any mining, farming or logging activity. Since setting out the plan in June 2023, the rate of illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has decreased by nearly 50%, a significant step in the right direction.  

Heavy Downpours and Flooding in South-Eastern Spain: At the end of October 2024, South-Eastern Spain was hit by exceptionally heavy rainfall. Hundreds of thousands of people lost access to water and electricity, and over 400 people had to leave their homes. Over 200 people lost their lives as a result of the flooding. Many people in the region felt that they didn’t receive enough warning of the extreme weather forecast and so didn’t have adequate time to prepare or evacuate. They have called for better early warning systems to be put in the place in the region.

Electric Buses in India: The Indian Government announced a $7 billion fund to electrify public transport, providing thousands of emission free buses across the country. India now has the highest population of any country in the world, and so the government hope to make public transport an integral part of the culture of travel to reduce the number of private vehicles and reliance on them.