Banking and energy: a close relationship

According to data from the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), banks have stakes in up to 174 companies in the energy sector. The percentage of shares held by these financial institutions ensures that they have decision-making powers on Boards of Directors and Shareholders’ Meetings.

Large banking institutions have stakes in many energy companies through shares or directorships in key management positions, which allows them to influence the management of these companies and the way in which the management of the energy transition takes shape.

CaixaBank is one of the most active banks in this sector, participating in companies such as Naturgy and TotalEnergies. In the case of Naturgy, CaixaBank was a majority shareholder of Repsol until 2019. The financial institution maintains its control over these companies through CriteriaCaixa and has directors in key positions in the energy companies.

For its part, Bankia also has members on the boards of Red Eléctrica de España, while Banco Santander has stakes in companies such as Endesa in Chile, Técnicas Reunidas and ENCE Energía & Celulosa. Banco Sabadell also has a significant presence in the energy sector, with board members in Repsol, ENCE Energía & Celulosa and Enagas.

Conflict of interest

Bearing in mind that the energy crisis has sent the price of energy soaring and, therefore, the profits of these companies – big banks and the main energy companies have accumulated more than 64,000 in profits during the three years of pandemic and inflationary crisis – it is difficult to justify those who are allergic to public intervention in these economic sectors.

It is interesting that the same actors opposed to government intervention seem to have no problem in perpetuating and justifying the revolving doors. A profitable business, which, by signing former presidents and ministers onto the boards of banks and energy companies, has facilitated the electricity oligopoly in the Spanish energy market, preserving price manipulation at the expense of the consumer, and with extraordinary profits for these two sectors of the economy.

The solutions to the problems arising from the conflict of interests of the shareholders of these companies cannot be limited to one-off tax impositions on the financial and energy sectors after they have made extraordinary profits. If we want to eliminate the problem outright, perhaps we would do well to ask ourselves what is being paid for when a politician, with no relevant education or experience, is hired for a position in a bank or electricity company.

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The green transition promises clean energy, sovereignty, and sustainability. But behind solar panels, batteries and electric cars lie new geopolitical bottlenecks. The green future also has owners. And they are not European.

The fight against climate change has become a global political and economic priority. But reducing this process to an environmental issue is a mistake. The ecological transition is, above all, a reconfiguration of global power. And Europe runs the risk of replacing its dependence on oil and gas with a new “green” dependence on critical minerals controlled by third countries, with a direct impact on prices, inflation and economic security.

For decades, the global economy has revolved around oil, gas, and uranium. These resources have shaped alliances, wars, inflation and structural dependencies. Today, the narrative is different, but the material base remains essential. The green transition does not eliminate dependence on resources: it transforms it.

The new protagonists are lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earths. Without these minerals there are no batteries, no solar panels, no wind turbines and no electric mobility. No green technology is immaterial. Every “clean” device has behind it an intensive extractive chain, often invisible to the final consumer.

Demand for these resources is growing exponentially. According to data from the European Commission, an electric car requires up to six times more minerals than a combustion vehicle. The technological shift is profound, but the economic logic remains the same: whoever controls the resource controls the system.

The real map of green power

The official narrative speaks of transition, diversification, and autonomy. But the real map of critical mineral supply tells a different story. Control is heavily concentrated in a few countries, many of them outside the European sphere.

China is the central actor. It dominates the refining of rare earths, lithium and cobalt, and controls key stages of the value chain, even if it is not always the main extractor. The Democratic Republic of the Congo concentrates more than 70% of global cobalt, often under highly questionable social and environmental conditions. Chile, Argentina, and Australia lead lithium extraction.

Europe, by contrast, is structurally dependent. It imports 98% of the rare earths it consumes and relies heavily on external sources for most critical minerals, according to data from the European Commission and the US Geological Survey. The European green transition is built, paradoxically, on resources it does not control.

The new green dependency

Replacing Russian gas with Chinese or African minerals does not eliminate vulnerability. It shifts it. This new green dependency exposes Europe to geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions and increasingly frequent economic blackmail.

The example is clear: in 2023, China imposed restrictions on the export of gallium and germanium, key minerals for the technological and energy industries. A move that shook global supply chains and highlighted the extent to which the green transition is also a geopolitical weapon.

According to the International Monetary Fund, geopolitical fragmentation of global trade increases the risks of shortages, price volatility and structural inflationary pressures. The energy transition, without material sovereignty, may become a source of permanent economic instability.

Who ultimately pays for the transition?

The cost of dependency always falls downward. When resources become more expensive or scarce, the system does not absorb the shock: it passes it on. Higher energy prices, rising industrial costs and subsidies sustained by public debt inevitably filter through to final prices. The green transition, as it is currently being implemented, is not economically neutral: it generates inflationary pressures that directly impact citizens’ purchasing power.

This impact goes far beyond the energy bill. It affects food, housing and mobility, and places particular strain on the middle classes, which once again act as the system’s main shock absorber. Data show that rising energy costs and industrial inputs have been a key factor in recent inflation, eroding savings and reducing the room for manoeuvre of households and businesses. The question is no longer whether the transition is necessary, but who truly bears its cost.

Here a structural contradiction emerges: there is no sustainability without sovereignty. Europe speaks of reindustrialisation and strategic autonomy, but arrives late, with high costs and strong social resistance. Recycling is essential, but insufficient to meet growing demand for critical minerals. Meanwhile, the global race for resources advances and the margin for manoeuvre shrinks. Can we speak of sustainability if we depend on other powers to make it possible? This is the uncomfortable question Europe has yet to answer.

The green future is also power

The green future is also power. The ecological transition is not only a climatic or technological issue, but one of control, resources and economic sovereignty. Changing the energy model without rethinking who controls raw materials is replacing one dependency with another. And in this balance of forces, Europe starts at a disadvantage.

If the sustainable future is not built with geopolitical realism, the cost will not be borne by markets or large corporations, but by citizens. Higher prices, persistent inflation and reduced economic decision-making capacity are the toll of a transition designed without control over critical resources. Sustainability, without sovereignty, becomes fragile and socially regressive.

At 11Onze, we believe that talking about sustainability without talking about resources is self-deception. Understanding who controls the future is the first step to protecting savings, preserving economic freedom and maintaining decision-making capacity in an increasingly tense and fragmented world. Because true progress is not only green: it must also be fair, resilient, and sovereign.

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Water covers 70% of the planet’s surface, and the volume of business that this can generate makes the marine ecosystem a strategic sector for developing a sustainable economy.

The blue economy describes all those economic activities linked to the sea and marine ecosystems. It includes port and logistics activities, fishing, shipbuilding, energy production, sports, science, and technology activities. The main premise is sustainability, as the future of both this economic sector and the planet in general will depend on it. 

2050 goal: 35% of energy will be produced in the sea

The European Commission points to the blue economy as a key player in the European Green Deal, which promotes the sustainable development of all member countries. The ocean acts as a climate regulator, is indispensable in the production of oxygen, and provides energy, food, and other resources without which we could not live.

It is, therefore, a strategic sector in the fight against climate change which, today, focuses on two major goals: developing renewable energy on the high seas in order to achieve 35% of energy production by 2050 and, on the other hand, making ports and transport more sustainable, seeking to limit carbon emissions and reduce the ecological footprint of ports.

Catalonia has a project that could achieve the energy goal, the so-called Tramuntana Park. With the intention of becoming a benchmark against climate change, the Empordà presents this proposal to create a marine and floating wind farm in the Gulf of Roses. The project would start operating in 2026 and could supply 45% of energy in the province of Girona, in addition to creating 5,000 jobs and contributing to the preservation and regeneration of marine ecosystems.

What is the European Green Deal? The European Research Council explains it in this video.

Blue Catalonia, leader in Europe

The plan to promote the blue economy in Catalonia began in 2018. Since then, the sector has generated more than 200,000 jobs and 35.5 billion euros. A figure that places Catalonia at the forefront of European countries where the maritime economy has greater internal weight. It is followed by Portugal, Estonia, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus.

Its weight is undeniable, and Catalan business involvement corroborates this. For example, the Port of Barcelona has launched a project to turn into a blue economy hub acting as a strategic point for companies related to the sector directly or indirectly.

Also, this year, the Blue Economy Business Cluster was created in the lands of the Ebro. It is an initiative open to all companies in the area that want to join forces for the environmental preservation of the Delta and its economic activity, mostly maritime.

A sustainable economic development involves making efficient use of the available resources, and in this sense Catalonia must make conscious use of everything the sea has to offer. The goal will be economic and social progress, but with the same degree of importance as environmental preservation, because as the European Commission warns, “there can be no green without blue.”

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Artificial intelligence facilitates the fulfilment of 79% of the sustainable development goals set globally in the 2030 Agenda. We analyse a Nature Communications’ study to find out why this figure has been reached and from which areas it will be achieved.

What is artificial intelligence (AI)?

Although there is no single way to describe it, an accurate way is the one described by Britannica, understanding AI as the ability of a digital computer or robot to perform tasks that require human intelligence. In other words, taking advantage of technological tools to optimise human tasks and, at the same time, achieve challenges that until now seemed impossible. Social and economic development cannot be understood without these AI mechanisms that, today, already mark our daily lives. Facial, fingerprint and voice recognition, weather forecasting, interactive communication with machines, automated knowledge extraction and logical reasoning are some of the achievements that will undoubtedly mark this century. The focus, and the challenge, is to create and use this technology to contribute to sustainable development on a global scale.

The three pillars of sustainable development

Society, economy and environment form the basis for understanding today’s world and are therefore the key points for developing strategic actions. The Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), have been created from these three pillars. 17 goals and 169 targets shape the present and future challenges on a global scale to keep technological advances at bay and ensure that every step contributes positively to social progress.

The 169 goals address all areas such as poverty, quality education, access to food, health and water for the population, clean and affordable energy and the creation of sustainable cities. The Nature Communications’ study, based on more than 60 sources, finds that the right AI development can have a positive impact on 134 of these goals, 79%. The uses of AI are multiple, and we find them represented in most everyday actions.

AI to reduce social inequalities

Technology is opening up to reach all pockets, also from an economic point of view. Today, using AI through our smartphones is part of our routine. Voice, touch and fingerprint recognition, device localisation, connectivity… AI tools are being incorporated at full speed to simplify the user experience and make technology accessible to everyone. The aim is to reduce the digital divide.

But AI goes further and seeks to create inclusion mechanisms for certain groups. One example is tools such as Google Lookout or Microsoft Seeing AI that facilitate the perception of the environment for blind people thanks to the identification of objects, people or text.

At home, applications such as the Localizador de la Fundació Arrels use technology as a way to care for groups at risk of social exclusion, in this case focused on supporting homeless people. Another example is the Refugee Aid App, which provides migrants with the location of NGOs, social and humanitarian aid centres where they can be assisted.

This is one of the key points of AI, favouring interconnection between users from all over the world and facilitating the creation of meeting spaces from which to collectively tackle egalitarian and inclusive social development. Technology provides the platform, but it is the citizens who have to take action.

AI for a circular economy

In terms of sustainable development, the concept of a circular economy is emerging, in which production is aligned with the life cycle of products and moves away from the traditional system based on buy, use and throw away. AI encourages this system based on the simplest everyday actions. Beyond connecting brands and consumers, digital platforms encourage the exchange of second-hand products and, from the digital environment, a trend has been created based on reusing products and promoting DIY.

The industry is also joining production based on the 7Rs, and it is doing so in many different ways. Machines are put at the service of the environment to carry out production based on recycled materials, from tyres to making roads to clothing. The technology is also reaching into means of transport, which are increasingly sustainable and encourage co-operation over private ownership.

In the area of wealth generation, AI is also key in the business sector in terms of efficiency and process optimisation, as well as in the recruitment process. From bringing companies and jobseekers together to creating automated talent selection processes. Along the same lines, investment companies such as Circularity Capital connect, through applications, investment and sustainable projects. The business fabric is adapting to environmental needs, with technology as its main ally.

AI in the environment: technology to understand the world

With the aim of environmental preservation, platforms have been created that use data analysis to identify species at risk of extinction, prevent desertification in at-risk areas or favour the maintenance of forests. For a more everyday use, there are applications that encourage the consumption of seasonal food, promote local commerce or encourage sustainable consumption of fish, without forgetting the weather forecast that is key in the maritime or outdoor sectors.

At the same time, from our mobile and thanks to AI, we can calculate air quality in real time, greenhouse gas emissions or the carbon footprint we generate on a daily basis. All facilities that demonstrate that leading a sustainable lifestyle is just a click away.

Technology allows us to understand and know what is happening all over the planet, and even on other planets. The applications created through AI extend to all areas and a global vision is positive: we are managing to create a type of technology that makes life easier for humans and, above all, that strives for sustainable development, thinking in terms of the community. The real challenge in this matter, which the study emphasises, is to ensure that the creation and maintenance of this technology does not have a negative impact on the planet. AI can favour sustainable development, but this will only be achieved if the process of achieving it is also environmentally friendly.

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Apple has published a statement this November announcing that it will make manuals, tools and spare parts available to users so that they can make their own repairs. Consumers will be able to repair their phones and computers by the beginning of 2022 in the United States, and by the end of the year in the European Union.

The Self Service Repair programme announced by Apple comes after years of lobbying by the US Federal Trade Commission, the European Union, and the Right to Repair platform. The news has been hailed as a small victory for consumers. Still, as the folks at iFixit, the electronics repair manual portal and a leading proponent of the Right to Repair, explain, the devil is in the details.

“Apple is modelling this self-repair service along the lines of its restrictive Independent Repair Provider (IRP) programme,” iFixit warns. That is, only new parts can be purchased directly from Apple, at Apple’s prices, and components from other devices or suppliers are not allowed to be used, thus removing any incentive to repair these devices outside of Apple’s official repair network.

At 11Onze you can now use your iPhone as if it were your 11Onze card and make secure, fast, and convenient payments at any establishment with a contactless POS. If you don’t yet have your 11Onze card, here’s how to order it. As soon as you have it, you can start using your mobile to make payments.

11Onze is becoming a phenomenon as the first Fintech community in Catalonia. Now, it releases the first version of El Canut, the super app of 11Onze, for Android and Apple. El Canut, the first universal account can be opened in Catalan territory.

The rise in electricity prices has triggered interest in photovoltaic self-consumption, which has been proven to be the best option to avoid high energy costs. In this episode of La Plaça, we discuss the increase in demand for solar panels with Raúl Rodríguez, Managing Director of the Federation of Installers’ Guilds of Catalonia (FEGICAT).

The growing trend of individuals and businesses generating their own electricity using solar panels has led to a doubling of installed capacity in the last 12 months. This increase in demand has been driven mainly by two factors: on the one hand, the falling costs of photovoltaic technologies and, on the other hand, inflation, which has particularly affected energy prices.

The high interest in installing solar panels, reducing reliance on the traditional electricity supply system, has meant that businesses in the sector are unable to cope with the increased demand. The lack of qualified personnel aggravates the situation, as Rodríguez explains, “the sector is in a position to incorporate, immediately, 18,000 workers”.

Matching supply with labour demand

The challenge of the energy transition and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as requested by the European Union, means that in Catalonia “we will need 170,000 workers in the sector”, Rodríguez points out, and continues, “we are talking about minimum salaries of 1,500 euros per month in 14 payments and with an impressive future projection”.

“This is a competitive opportunity for the country, as long as we know how to take advantage of it”, the Managing Director of FEGICAT warns of the need to balance the market with qualified labour, promoting the training of new professionals. An opportunity for the country in which the public administration has to play a fundamental role, in avoiding red tape, promoting training and increasing tax incentives.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Si et preocupa la qualitat de l’aigua que beu la teva família, probablement carreteges grans quantitats de garrafes o d’ampolles d’aigua mineral que al cap de l’any et costen més de 1.000 euros. Amb un filtre a la teva aixeta pots continuar gaudint d’aigua de qualitat, reduir per 15 la teva despesa, ajudar el planeta i estalviar-te maldecaps i d’esquena.

Estalviar no significa necessàriament privar-se de moltes coses. Sovint significa evitar sobrecostos innecessaris en productes essencials. Per això neix Imprescindibles 11Onze, perquè puguis reduir despeses en productes dels quals no pots prescindir.

El primer d’aquests productes disponibles a la web d’11Onze està relacionat amb l’aigua, el líquid essencial per a la vida. Hem de beure’n dos litres diaris i el més habitual és que acabem comprant un munt d’ampolles o garrafes de plàstic, amb el consegüent impacte mediambiental del plàstic que comporten.

Una família de quatre membres hauria de beure una mitjana de 2.920 litres d’aigua a l’any. Això equival a una despesa mínima de 1.196 euros si comprovem els preus de les ampolles d’1,5 litres més populars als principals supermercats d’Espanya i fem la mitjana. 

En termes mediambientals, aquest consum suposa més de 60 kg de plàstic abocats al planeta i una quantitat de CO₂ similar emès a l’atmosfera durant la seva fabricació i transport.

Més de mil euros d’estalvi

És possible beure aigua de bona qualitat, amb bon sabor, estalviar i ajudar a preservar el planeta? La resposta és sí. Tan senzill com substituir el consum d’aigua envasada per aigua filtrada. El filtre Tappwater, que està fet en un 70 % de closca de coco, captura fins a 100 substàncies que podem trobar a l’aigua corrent, metalls pesants inclosos.

Pel que fa a l’estalvi econòmic, la senzilla instal·lació d’aquest filtre, que no requereix cap eina, equival a un estalvi de més de 1.100 euros a l’any per a una família de quatre membres. De gairebé 1.200 euros que suposa la compra d’aigua envasada es passa a menys de 90 euros en total. 

El kit amb el filtre i els recanvis necessaris per al consum anual costen 79,99 euros. I a això només s’han de sumar menys de 10 euros de consum d’aigua de l’aixeta, tenint en compte que el preu mitjà a Espanya és d’aproximadament 0,0019 euros per litre i que amb el paquet anual de Tappwater es poden filtrar fins a 4.800 litres.

El planeta també s’estalvia plàstic i CO₂

 Addicionalment, el medi ambient s’estalvia unes 1.947 ampolles de plàstic que no hauràs de carregar fins a casa i 63 kg de CO₂. I també t’assegures que l’aigua està lliure dels microplàstics que poden desprendre els envasos de plàstic quan es degraden per l’escalfor, i que ja s’ha demostrat que arriben al nostre torrent sanguini. 

Tots els productes de Tappwater passen estrictes proves de qualitat abans de ser enviats als clients, i per això ofereixen una garantia d’un any.

Si vols descobrir com beure la millor aigua, estalviar diners i ajudar al planeta, entra a Imprescindibles 11Onze.

Extreme weather events pose the greatest risk to humanity over the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Risks 2024 Report. Still, misinformation and economic uncertainty are the main concerns in the short term.

The World Economic Forum’s annual Global Risks report analyses the main challenges facing the world two and ten years ahead. It also examines possible partnerships and different approaches to address these global risks.

While preparing the 2024 report, 1,490 experts from academia, business, government, the international community and civil society were surveyed. To complement this data, the Executive Opinion Survey (EOS) of 11,000 business leaders in 113 economies has been added to identify the risks that pose the most serious threat to each country.

A total of 34 global risks are analysed, including technological and economic factors, as well as social and geopolitical risks. A global risk is defined as the possibility of an event or condition occurring that would adversely affect a significant proportion of the world’s GDP, population or natural resources.

Main global risks linked to climate change

Changes related to the climate emergency, such as extreme weather events, loss of biodiversity, collapse of ecosystems or scarcity of natural resources, represent the greatest threat to humanity in the next ten years.

Two-thirds of respondents are concerned about extreme weather events over the next decade, a factor that also ranks second in terms of risk over the next two years. In this case, 5 of the top 10 global risks are related to the environment and climate change.

Among the heads of civil society organisations, Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, warned that “unless we take urgent action, the threat will only intensify and bring us closer to inflicting irreversible damage on society and ecosystems”. Indeed, studies show that potentially irreversible changes to the planet could occur by the 2030s if temperatures continue to rise.

Increased risk of disinformation and social polarisation 

Disinformation, including that generated by artificial intelligence, and social and political polarisation are second and third in the ranking of concerns. Polarised societies are more likely to rely on information (true or false) that confirms their biases. In the short term, disinformation may affect 4 billion people who will vote in 60 countries in 2024. 

The report warns that governments will increasingly be in a position to determine which narrative is considered “the truth”, which could allow political parties to monopolise public discourse and suppress dissenting voices. Disinformation is therefore expected to continue to be used by domestic and foreign actors to widen socio-political divisions.

In this context, social polarisation emerges as one of the main risks that are interconnected with economic recession and lack of opportunities. Moreover, geopolitical tensions and armed conflicts are severely affecting the livelihoods of millions of people, and increase the possibility of war with global consequences.

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European farmers are up in arms. Rising costs, the removal of subsidies, new environmental measures and cuts to finance the war in Ukraine are strangling a sector that is essential to the continent’s food sovereignty and has become the scapegoat of the Eurocrats.

After seeing the images of half of Germany blocked by the avalanche of tractors heading towards the Brandenburg Gate, one might think that you reap what you sow. Europe’s political class has long been fomenting discord against the agricultural sector, and it was only a matter of time before one day or another it paid the consequences.

These protests are the latest in a series of farmers’ demonstrations across Europe. Previously, similar demonstrations have been seen in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and other European states, where farmers have also taken to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the effects of planned environmental reforms and high production costs.

The casus belli of the German rural revolt

Although grouping all the demonstrations under a common denominator is tempting, they have mainly been triggered by specific national situations. The German agricultural sector is opposed to proposed cuts in fuel subsidies used in agriculture. An austerity policy that the German government argues became necessary after a Constitutional Court verdict prohibited the coalition government from transferring 60 billion euros in appropriations to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the fight against climate change.

The cuts were intended to eliminate the existing tax benefits for diesel and the road tax exemption for agricultural and forestry vehicles. This would have allowed the federal government to save almost 1 billion euros in additional revenue from the official amount it has to save in the 2024 fiscal year – still pending parliamentary approval – of around 17 billion euros out of a budget of 450 billion euros.

This is against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. The war, instigated and perpetuated by the US and its client states in Europe, has been devastating for the German economy and industrial sector. Yet Berlin has pledged more than 17.1 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine from 24 January 2022, the same amount it would have to save through cuts during 2024.

But of course, these billions of euros in military “aid” are recycled into the German military-industrial complex which, like the one of the United States, is making a killing from this war, courtesy of the taxpayers and farmers who suffer the cuts because there is no money and the Ukrainians who serve as cannon fodder for the corporate interests behind these conflicts. As President Biden keeps repeating to keep the funds flowing, the money going to “Ukraine” is a good investment.

Climate targets vs. food sovereignty

Despite the loss of more than 5 million farms since 2005, a decline of 37%, Europe is generally self-sufficient in most foodstuffs. However, support for farmers provided by the Common Agricultural Policy is essential in ensuring the continuity of farms and crops in the EU. Especially since the increased costs caused by the sanitary crisis, the logistical funnel and the war in Ukraine.

Eurocrats in Brussels are nervous about the agricultural revolt on the continent. The EU has set a global goal of zero emissions by 2050, and EU officials are concerned that the outpouring of protests could set back the ambitious climate targets set by the European Commission.

According to Greenpeace, the current system, which pushes farmers to run large, intensively industrialised farms is broken and protesting for business as usual will not help. In any case, the situation of political neglect in which the rural world finds itself is unsustainable. The transition to a more sustainable model has to guarantee much more than the mere survival of the sector.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

24 October marks International Climate Change Day to raise awareness of one of our major challenges. Human activities are estimated to have caused the global temperature to rise by 1°C above pre-industrial levels. And global warming could reach an additional 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if drastic action is not taken.

Human-induced global warming is intensifying. It is estimated that the Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.08°C per decade since 1880, although the rate since 1981 has doubled. The temperature is now rising at a rate of almost 0.2°C per decade, although in regions such as the Arctic the rate is up to two to three times faster. Worse still, it could rise by a further 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052, according to a UN report.

Most of the warming has occurred in the last 40 years. In fact, the nine years between 2013 and 2021 are among the ten warmest years on record, according to US government measurements. And 2016 and 2020 are estimated to have been the warmest on record. 

The search for culprits

Natural phenomena such as volcanic activity or variations in the Earth’s orbit play a role in global warming, but the changes observed in the planet’s climate since the mid-20th century are mainly due to human activity.

The main cause is the burning of fossil fuels, which has increased as the human population has grown. Their combustion generates greenhouse gases that trap the sun’s rays in the Earth’s atmosphere, raising the average temperature of the Earth’s surface.

The gases that contribute most to the problem are carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, water vapour, methane and nitrous oxide. Their concentrations in the atmosphere are at their highest levels in the last two million years.

Ice blocks extracted from Greenland, Antarctica and some glaciers reveal that the current rate of warming is ten times higher than it was immediately after the last ice age. Carbon dioxide from human activities is increasing about 250 times faster than that from natural sources.

Not all countries contribute equally to global warming: the 100 countries with the lowest emissions account for 3% of total emissions, while the ten with the highest emissions account for 68%. 

The impact on the oceans

Global sea levels have risen by about 20 centimetres in the last century. However, the rate in the last two decades is almost double that of the last century and accelerating slightly each year. No wonder. According to NASA, Greenland lost an average of 279 billion tonnes of ice per year between 1993 and 2019, while Antarctica lost about 148 billion tonnes per year.

In addition, it is estimated that since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of the ocean’s surface waters has increased by 30% due to rising carbon dioxide emissions. The ocean has absorbed 20-30% of the emissions generated by mankind in recent decades and the upper 100 metres show a warming of more than 0.3°C since 1969.

Persistent effects

The bad news is that warming caused by human-induced emissions from the pre-industrial period to the present will persist for centuries or millennia and will continue to cause further long-term changes in the climate.

However, future climate-related risks will depend on the rate, peak and duration of warming. Overall, they will be greatest if global warming exceeds 1.5°C in the coming decades. And, unfortunately, global warming is projected to reach about 3.2°C by the end of the century.

Although more and more countries are committing to achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, half of these reductions need to occur before 2030 to keep warming below 1.5°C. In fact, fossil fuel production should decrease by about 6% per year between 2020 and 2030.

Global warming is already causing changes in weather patterns and poses a serious threat in terms of the extreme events it triggers: intense droughts, severe fires, catastrophic storms and a serious decline in biodiversity.

We can pay the bill for energy change now or pay the bill for climate change in the coming decades.

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