How much does freight transport pollute?

Freight transport continues to boom, driven by a globalised economic model. Supply chains have become more complex and greenhouse gas emissions have soared in recent years. Only a change in our consumption habits can reverse the trend.

Globalisation and the rise of trade has meant that billions of tonnes of freight are moved around the world every year by trucks, ships, trains and planes. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated in 2018 that this movement of goods generates 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and up to 11% if we include those produced in warehouses. If no action is taken, freight transport will become the most polluting sector by 2050.

Land transport, mainly by lorries and vans, accounts for 62% of these emissions. Although the fuel used in maritime transport is much more polluting, the fact that the carrying capacity per vehicle is much lower in land transport makes it much more inefficient from an environmental point of view. For the same amount of cargo and distance, road transport generates more than 100 times more CO₂ than maritime transport.

Moreover, road freight transport is a fast-growing sector, partly due to the rise of e-commerce and home delivery. And it is the most difficult transport segment to decarbonise, as the use of clean energy is much less developed than in passenger transport.

The law of the sea

Maritime transport is the backbone of world trade. In 2018, 11 billion tonnes of goods were transported by sea and related CO₂ emissions amounted to more than 700 million tonnes.

The importance of this sector is such that it was left out of the 2016 Paris Agreement and is projected to account for up to 10 % of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 if no action is taken. Demand for raw materials and container transport is growing all the time. 

Large ships run on highly polluting fossil fuels, especially heavy fuel oil, which contains high amounts of sulphur, ash, heavy metals and other toxic residues.

A problem called sulphur

Until 2020, the maximum limit for sulphur in marine fuels was 3.5%, while the EU limit for road fuels is 0.00001%. ‘The Guardian’ published a revealing statistic a few years ago: 15 of the world’s largest ships polluted as much as 760 million cars.

After years of consultation, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) reduced the maximum allowed level of sulphur in ship fuel from 3.5 % to around 0.5 % in 2020. However, the expectation that maritime freight traffic will continue to increase to double 2005 levels by 2050 significantly reduces the scope of this measure.

More pollution

IMO reports published in recent years have revealed that, instead of decreasing, emissions from ships have increased by 10% since 2008 and will continue to do so. If all shipping were a country, it would be the sixth most polluting in the world, ahead of Germany. 

The Marine Environment Protection Committee of this organisation proposed in 2020 a partial reduction of CO₂ emissions for this decade and to extend the reduction to 50% in 2050. However, the organisation that regulates international maritime traffic ignored the recommendations and only agreed on short-term, non-binding measures. 

As a consequence of this, CO₂ emissions from cargo ships will continue to grow in the coming years. If the shipping industry does not implement green strategies, its greenhouse gas production will increase by 15% by 2030. And if it follows the IMO recommendations, this percentage will hardly change. 

In this context, the only solution to curb the impact of freight transport on the environment involves changes in our personal consumption habits: above all, reducing the volume and weight of our purchases, and prioritising local products.

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Whether it is because of the work situation or because they want to live near metropolitan areas, more and more people are choosing to live in smaller apartments. However, living in a small apartment can make it easier to live in an environmentally friendly apartment. We analyze how we can have a sustainable home in a few square meters.

According to the website of Architectural Digest magazine, it is increasingly common to opt for this trend of housing with a minimalist touch. They are called micro homes. First, because they are economical and secondly, because they represent a sustainable lifestyle, where less is more. In this type of home we find everything we need to live and they invite us to do so without burdening us with unnecessary objects. To get us started and to show us how we can have a sustainable micro home, the same website Architectural Digest, proposes and makes several tips and observations.

• Sustainability, an essential factor

Energy consumption is an added value to these homes since they do not require high electricity consumption. On the other hand, it is necessary to make the spaces of the house very adapted to the needs of the people who live there and their lifestyle, together with multifunctional furniture that can be a good ally when it comes to storage. An important recommendation is the size of the windows; there must be few but big instead of many and small. It is also highly recommended to increase the feeling of space in the micro dwelling by having several mirrors. Journalist Sara Barragan, author of the Architectural Digest article, also reminds us of the importance of using a good palette of neutral colours, both on the walls and on the floor of the home.

According to Sustainable Architecture, aero thermal energy is a renewable energy source that harnesses the energy of the air to produce hot water and make use of heating in order to enjoy a good air conditioning in our micro home.

But to finish having a sustainable micro home we must follow some more recommendations. We have visited the Sustainable Architecture website that gives us a series of tips to rehabilitate our home in a sustainable way. First of all, you should get good insulation of the walls. To check them well and not to take that for granted from the beginning is part of the success. Next, we must ensure that the windows provide us with the light we want and that they are properly insulated, either by using gaskets, or by changing the glass. A more expensive solution, but in this case, it is necessary to think about the benefit and the well-being that they will provide us. The installations are also important, it is necessary to review the electrical installation by a qualified person to know if the home is prepared for the power we need and check if changing the electrical installation we will have a greater energy efficiency. Plumbing, as the Sustainable Architecture website reminds us, is no less important. Do not hesitate to replace the old lead pipes with new stainless steel or ceramic ones if necessary. Finally, they remind us that in a small apartment we can not have renewable energy without first consulting with our community of neighbours. That is why Sustainable Architecture advises us to install an aero thermal system. These systems are a source of renewable energy that harnesses the energy of the air to produce hot water and make use of heating in order to enjoy a good climate in our micro home.

The famous Tiny Houses have less than 40 square meters and just as it happens with the needs of a sustainable and not very big house, this type of home gives us all the necessary comforts we need.

• And for those who are looking for small treasures …

Along with the idea of how to make our homes a small paradise of sustainability, we also want to recommend some pages where you can learn about the small houses of the future: the so-called Tiny houses. They have less than 40 m² and just as it happens with the needs of a sustainable and not very big house, this type of home gives answer to all the necessary comforts to live.

With this fashion on the rise, there are many websites that offer solutions for this type of home according to your personal needs. If we look online we can find more modern ones, such as this French website, called Tiny House Bimfy; and for the most sophisticated ones, the Nordic Houses website offers the possibility to buy tiny houses made in Finland with transport included. These tiny homes made in Finland, in addition to having all the comforts we need to live, stand out especially for their solutions in relation to thermal insulation.

So, whether designing, reforming or taking the decision to buy a Tiny House, the ecological and sustainable mini houses are also, if you will, the future knocking on the door.

The President of the Federació de Cooperatives Agràries de Catalunya (FCAC), Ramon Sarroca, defends the country’s agricultural cooperative model as a fundamental pillar. One hundred years after its emergence, it has successfully faced up to globalisation and industrialisation, but it still does not allow food sovereignty for the territory.

In recent decades, phenomena such as globalisation, digitalisation and industrialisation have accelerated social and economic changes which, in most cases, have not been transferred to rural areas. The paradox lies in the fact that it is precisely on the countryside that our survival depends. On an agrarian scale, Catalonia is a small and diverse country.

This is how Sarroca explains it to us, stressing that smallholder production in our territory cannot be compared with the large hectares of land found in Latin American countries, for example. This, together with the conditions of the land, the climate and the types of crops, means that agricultural production in Catalonia is not sufficient in relation to market demand.

Far from food sovereignty

Sarroca calculates that, even if all Catalan production were to remain in the region, it would perhaps be possible to supply just over half of the population. Thus, food sovereignty in Catalonia is a long way off, not only in terms of production but also in terms of consumption. Despite the fact that the pandemic has slightly altered consumption patterns and has had a greater impact on local products and local purchases, the reality is that this change is not enough for the agricultural sector: “We have a short memory, we are trying to go back to doing the same things, with the same guidelines, as before the pandemic,” Sarroca points out. 

And he adds that, in addition to opting for local produce, the first filter that should be taken into account as consumers is to buy seasonal produce. “For many years now we in the cooperative world have been trying to explain that it is not normal to eat peaches or cherries in Catalonia in December,” Sarroca laments. Doing so, We promote the growth of imports and reduce the strength of local producers, who see year after year how the four big state distributors control almost everything that the end consumer eats.

Counting on the countryside

Another issue of concern for the agricultural sector is the new energy transition model that is being proposed and, in some cases, implemented in Catalonia. The debate revolves around the fact that a large surface area is needed for renewable energies, and the question is whether this has to be done by sacrificing agricultural land, as Sarroca denounces. He explains that in Catalonia there are areas where the conditions of the land make it impossible to grow crops. Similarly, there are industrial estate roofs, roads and other infrastructures that could perform the same function and, at the same time, contribute to preserving agricultural land.

Sarroca warns that “a cohesive rural world is the one that has to provide peace of mind in the urban world.” Health, education, job opportunities or access to banking… Cooperatives open up the range of actions that can be carried out to influence, directly or indirectly, in all these areas, and ensure that the rural world really is the social and economic engine to drive the country forward.

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Clean hydrogen is presented as the fuel of the future, promising to provide carbon-neutral energy. However, it is not the first time that hydrogen has been hailed as the energy of the future only to run up against high production costs and difficulties with transport and storage, delaying its market introduction. Is it here to stay?

Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, usually by the process of reforming with natural gas, is mainly used in the chemical and refining industry, and its production is responsible for the emission of 830 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Yet it is less toxic and more easily dispersed than natural gas.

While clean hydrogen will largely avoid this pollution, there are still drawbacks to be addressed. Currently, hydrogen storage requires extremely high pressure and is therefore too expensive and inefficient for widespread use in the automotive industry.

China, known as the Asian giant and the world’s leading producer of hydrogen made from hydrocarbons, and other countries such as Australia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Spain, and Chile are beginning to make the transition to clean hydrogen with multi-million dollar projects that suggest green hydrogen is here to stay.

What is green hydrogen?

Although hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe, and the third most abundant on the Earth’s surface after oxygen and silicon, it is not a primary energy form per se, but a chemical compound, which exists in combination with other elements, and which can have energy uses.

Just as conventional hydrogen obtained from hydrocarbons requires large amounts of energy and is a costly process, clean hydrogen, also known as renewable hydrogen or e-hydrogen, is generated from electricity from renewable energy sources, through a process called electrolysis of water. Electrolysis is a chemical process that uses electricity to separate hydrogen from oxygen in the water.

The fact that it emits no pollutant gases when produced makes it 100% sustainable, but the production costs are higher than with traditional hydrogen. Despite this, energy experts expect the price of clean hydrogen production to drop considerably over the next few years to match that of hydrogen produced from hydrocarbons.

The European Union does not want to be left behind

Europe wants to avoid losing its leadership in green hydrogen to China, as happened with solar panels. To this end, it has launched an industrialisation plan within the framework of the Horizon Europe project, to promote and accelerate research and development of green hydrogen with an initial investment of 2 billion euros.

The aim of the project is to scale up green hydrogen electrolysers, which are used to split water into hydrogen, and thus reduce the cost of a technology that is currently too expensive to compete in the market. The goal is to build hydrogen clusters deployed across Europe, and to bring together hydrogen-related infrastructures, as has been done with the electricity grid.

The introduction of new renewable energy sources in the coming years will be crucial for the environment. We, the common people and the planet, can now welcome the geopolitical competition between the major global economic powers to lead this new energy source.

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Although health authorities insist that tap water is completely safe, many people warn that there is a lack of thorough controls. Heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals and microplastics pose a risk to our health.

In December 2020, the European Parliament adopted the Drinking Water Directive to improve the quality of tap water and reduce the consumption of bottled water. This directive provided for the imposition of stricter limits for certain contaminants, such as lead. It also envisaged the establishment of a list of substances or compounds of concern to the public and the scientific community for monitoring. 

However, the truth is that, almost a year and a half later, the European Commission has still not drawn up this list, which should include pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors and microplastics that can damage our health.

It is still difficult to find colourless, odourless and tasteless tap water. In most cases, tap water contains many substances, from the chlorine used to make it drinkable, which can give the water a characteristic bad taste, to more harmful substances such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, bacteria and viruses.

Routine controls only check the levels of those pollutants that are already legislated, but they are a small part. For example, the Outbiotics project, which is being developed in Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre, the Basque Country and the south of France, has found antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, azithromycin, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in pre-drinking natural waters.

Studies such as the one published in the prestigious journal ‘Environmental Health’ make clear the need to reduce perfluoroalkyl substances in tap water worldwide to improve our health, as they are considered endocrine disruptors.

Persistent heavy metals

Industrial and mining activity releases toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and chromium, which can reach aquifers and rivers, contaminating soil and accumulating in plants and organic tissues. Exposure to these elements is linked to health problems such as various types of cancer, kidney damage and developmental delays.

Lead can also infiltrate drinking water through corrosion of service pipes, chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures with lead solder.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that the maximum level of this heavy metal in drinking water should be zero, “because lead is a toxic metal that can harm human health, even at low exposure levels” and can “bioaccumulate in the body over time”.

Children are particularly vulnerable to lead, as they absorb it more easily than adults and its renal elimination is less effective. Lead can affect their brain development, reduce their ability to concentrate and affect their academic performance. 

The invasion of microplastics

A study conducted by the news organisation Orb Media in collaboration with researchers from the State University of New York and the University of Minnesota shows that microplastics have been finding their way into tap water around the world for years.

Already, 83% of drinking water samples collected in five continents over the past decade contained microplastics. The United States had the highest contamination rate and, although Europe’s has the lowest, it had still very high (72%). The average number of plastic fibres found in every 500 ml of water ranged from 4.8 in the US to 1.9 in Europe.

Uncontrolled pesticides

A recent report by Ecologistas en Acción denounces the poor control of chemical substances suspected of contaminating drinking water. This is the case with many pesticides, herbicides and biocides.

Sulphur, which is the most widely used in the countryside, has not been tested for in any of the water analyses carried out by Spanish municipalities in recent years. The same applies to substances as common in agriculture and livestock farming such as metam sodium (only one search was recorded in 2019), copper oxychloride, paradine oil, copper hydroxide and propamocarb.

In addition, the report criticises the lack of a legal obligation to carry out complete analyses in small populations and their unreliability due to the absence of quantified limits and the lack of accreditation of the contracted laboratories. This organisation has noted the absence of complete controls even in municipalities declared by the autonomous communities themselves as vulnerable to nitrates.

If you want to discover how to drink the best water, save money and help the planet, go to 11Onze Essentials.

Plastic waste is already forming huge islands in the sea and has even reached the depths of the ocean. This dumping is an ecological tragedy that some initiatives are trying to mitigate. The health of our seas and of humanity itself is at stake.

The UN estimates that by 2050 the oceans will contain more plastic than fish. Every year, ten million tonnes of plastic waste of all kinds, such as bottled water packaging, end up in the sea.

This has led to the formation of large “islands” of plastic in the water. To get an idea of the scale of the problem, suffice it to say that the largest of these islands is located in the Pacific and is three times the size of France. 

The consequences are dramatic for the planet because many marine animals ingest this plastic and more than a million die each year from it.

Microplastics, which are smaller than 5 millimetres in size, can even enter our bodies through the fish we eat. The consequences range from oxidative stress in our cells to DNA damage.

Three successful initiatives

Civil society is therefore coming up with more and more initiatives to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the oceans, damaging marine life, contributing to climate change, and polluting an essential resource such as water.

One example is the Water Heroes FC programme, promoted by Xylem and Manchester City. This project, in which Pep Guardiola participates, seeks to raise public awareness of water issues and promotes actions to mitigate them. One of its initiatives, “Plogging with Pep”, encourages the public to pick up litter while walking, running, or doing any other outdoor sport.

Another success story is the Surfrider Foundation Europe’s Ocean Initiatives. With 25 years of history, this volunteer programme mobilises 40,000 participants in 40 countries every year, who organise themselves to remove litter from beaches and waterways.

A third example is the Ocean Cleanup project, founded a decade ago by a young man in his early 20s. This involves floating structures that take advantage of currents to collect rubbish from rivers and oceans. Its ambitious goal is to eliminate 90 percent of floating plastic by 2040.

These are three examples of how we can help contain marine litter and mitigate ocean pollution. It should not be forgotten that they account for 97 percent of the planet’s water.

If you want to discover how to drink the best water, save money and help the planet, go to 11Onze Essentials.

Car manufacturers are backtracking on electric cars in the wake of slowing global demand, and are extending their scheduled date for ending the production of internal combustion engines. High prices, cutbacks on incentives and a lack of reliable charging points have deterred consumers.

Since February 2023, when the European Union ratified legislation that from 2035 would ban the sale and registration of all vehicles emitting CO₂ emissions, as a central pillar of the European Green Pact, the reality of the electric car market is forcing a change of course that calls into question the strategy established to achieve emission reduction targets.

Electric cars are still selling, but they need to sell in much bigger volumes. The latest report from the European Commission’s Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) shows that electric car penetration in the European Union remains very low. Light-duty vehicles with electric and hybrid engines account for only 6.15% of the total fleet, or around 18 million of the almost 290 million vehicles on the road in Europe.

Moreover, electric vehicle registrations are declining in the European Union as a whole. In the first half of the year, pure electric vehicles accounted for 12.5% of registrations, compared with 12.9% the previous year, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). On the other hand, plug-in hybrid vehicles have lost half a percentage point of market share, from 7.4% in the same period of 2023 to 6.9% this year.

June’s electric car sales data continues this trend, losing 1% of their market share, while registrations of plug-in hybrid vehicles fell to 19.9%. This is a significant slowdown in the electric vehicle market when taking into account that total registrations – electric and combustion vehicles – during this month increased by 4.3%, and by 4.6% for the first six months of the year as a whole, compared to the same period last year.

Sales of electric vehicles have not only fallen across the board in Europe. In Q1 2024, the United States experienced a 7.3% decline in total electric car sales compared to Q4 2023. Only the continued growth of the Chinese car market, which accounts for 60% of global EV sales, is reversing this downward trend.

When the numbers don’t add up

After investing billions of euros in the development of new electric platforms, brands such as Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and the Stellantis group have announced that they have experienced a significant drop in electric vehicle orders.

The response from the automotive industry has not been long in coming, and for months now they have been announcing production cuts, factory closures and a rethink of their goals of becoming pure electric vehicle manufacturers by the end of this decade.

In this context, the Volkswagen Group has scrapped the possibility of opening a new plant around Wolfsburg, as planned, and has warned of the possible closure of Audi’s electric car factory in Brussels. Mercedes has cancelled the development of a new electric platform to concentrate its efforts on new, more affordable, combustion-engined vehicles.

But the European industry is playing against the clock – 2035 is the deadline for selling combustion vehicles and, as of today, this ban is still in force. However, the ban faces resistance from several quarters, who question the feasibility and impact of such a measure. MEPs agreed to a derogation until the end of 2035 for manufacturers with small annual production volumes and for the use of synthetic fuels.

Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), has called the ban “a mistake” after the European Parliament elections and promised that the party would discuss its repeal “in the coming days”. He is not the only voice among Eurocrats arguing for a less restrictive deal, and ultimately it will be decided in 2027 whether the legislation will be enforced.

From theory to reality

High prices, cut incentives and a lack of reliable recharging points have deterred consumers. The Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) points to some of these factors as the main obstacles to the mass adoption of electric vehicles in Spain. According to the organisation, the use of electric vehicles is impractical without a place where they can be recharged daily at an affordable price, either at home or at the workplace.

On the other hand, the exorbitant prices of electric vehicles exclude buyers with lower purchasing power, i.e. the majority of the population in our country and in much of Europe, who demand more affordable vehicles. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Dacia Sandero was the best-selling car in the EU in the first half of the year, to the detriment of the Tesla Model Y, which has fallen from first place in 2023 to eighth this year, with a 26% drop in sales.

Another source of problems for the electric vehicle industry has to do with allegations of planned obsolescence. From batteries that, due to their high cost, are neither repairable nor replaceable, to software updates that give total control to manufacturers to the detriment of independent garages and owners, they limit the lifespan of electric cars, leave users feeling cheated and call into question the green credentials of this type of vehicle.

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Is it possible to stop global warming? For nearly a decade, Project Drawdown has insisted that this is not a utopia if the right measures are taken to stop the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

With greenhouse gas emissions reaching record highs in the past decade, the pace of global warming has intensified. Temperatures are rising at a rate of almost 0.2 °C per decade. Worse still, it could rise by a further 1.5 °C between 2030 and 2052, according to a UN report.

In this context, the publication in 2017 of the book ‘Drawdown’ generated a huge media echo. With nearly a hundred proposals, it was the most comprehensive plan to reverse global warming to date. The title referred to that desired future moment when the levels of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere stop rising and begin a gradual decline that avoids catastrophic consequences. 

The book’s editorial team continued to advance their proposals to reach that “crucial point for life on Earth; a point we must reach as quickly, safely and equitably as possible”, as detailed on their website. In 2020, they published “The Drawdown Report”, which updates their proposals and sets out a series of fundamental reflections on climate balance.

A reference report

Its solutions place particular emphasis on the areas of energy, industry, food, transport and construction, which account for 90% of greenhouse gas emissions. The proposals, which are intended to serve as a starting point for legislators, institutions and individuals, are based on ten key ideas that should guide humanity’s efforts to avert environmental disaster. 

1. It is possible to reach the drawdown point by mid-century. Yes, despite the difficulties, it is possible to halt emissions’ growth, but this requires maximising the climate solutions available today. As the report warns, “available is better than new, and society is ready to start such a transformation today”. 
2. A comprehensive system of solutions is needed. There is no single, miracle cure for a problem as complex as the climate crisis. Many of the solutions can be combined and made to feedback on each other for the most significant possible impact. For example, efficient buildings make renewable electricity generation more viable. 
3. Solutions rarely have only one climate impact. Many of them can generate employment, improve resilience to climate impacts such as storms and droughts, and provide other environmental benefits such as the preservation of water resources. 
4. The savings from climate solutions significantly outweigh the costs. Arguments about the lack of economic viability of climate action are false. The report estimates that net operational savings are four to five times the net implementation costs. And if we take into account the financial value of the associated benefits, such as savings in health services through reduced pollution, and avoided climate damage, such as reduced agricultural losses, the economic case is even stronger.
5. It is essential to promote solutions that reduce or replace the use of fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels for electricity, transport and heating generates two-thirds of the world’s heat-trapping gas emissions. Hence, the importance of this section. Approximately 30% of the solutions proposed in the report calls for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels through increased efficiency, and almost another 30% propose alternatives. These measures, which range from boosting solar and wind energy to retrofitting buildings, can provide almost two-thirds of the emission reductions needed to reach the drawdown point. 
6. Nature’s carbon sinks must be encouraged. If we want to prevent the water in a bathtub from overflowing, we can turn off the tap, but we can also remove the stopper so that the liquid goes down the drain. A similar thing happens with carbon in nature. Human activities can enhance natural carbon sinks, and many ecosystem-based or agriculture-related climate solutions have the dual benefit of reducing emissions and sequestering carbon. 
7. More attention should be paid to some of the most impactful climate solutions. The report warns that beyond onshore wind turbines and industrial-scale photovoltaic plants, progress is needed in areas such as reducing food waste and improving the disposal of chemical refrigerants, which are potent greenhouse gases. 
8. Accelerators are needed to drive solutions at the scale, speed and scope required. Some accelerators, such as policy change and capital displacement, are closer to home and have more direct impacts. Others, such as cultural change and political empowerment, are more distant and indirect in their effects. 
9. Changes must be made at all levels, from the individual to the global. The climate crisis requires systemic and structural changes in our society. Interventions are needed at the individual, community, organisational, regional, national and global levels to maximise benefits and achieve transformation. 
10. Much commitment, collaboration and ingenuity will be needed to reverse the current situation. The report warns that “the path we are on is far more than risky, and it is easy to feel paralysed by that danger”. However, it also stresses that change is possible: “together we can build a bridge from where we are now to the world we want” for generations to come.

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The new global trend that democratises access to luxury from a sustainable and environmentally responsible point of view.

21st century laboratories have managed to imitate natural diamonds in a new synthetic product that maintains the chemical, optical, thermal and physical characteristics of the original stone. The final product is practically impossible to distinguish by the naked eye, but the process of obtaining it is very different. However, despite being presented as a sustainable alternative, the market for diamonds, synthetic or natural, is still marked by controversy.

These replicas are created over a period of seven to ten days, then cut and graded according to the same standards as natural diamonds. The International Gemmological Institute recognises these new diamonds and even certifies them, to ensure that they meet the requirements to be considered synthetic diamonds and not simply diamond fakes.

The end of blood diamonds

The process of obtaining diamonds is one of the most criticised, because of the direct link between obtaining them and the exploitation of natural resources. It is estimated that for each carat of diamonds, 250 tonnes of earth are moved, and the acid drainage required for their extraction contaminates, besides soil, surface and underground water.

Human exploitation, and countries’ conflicts to gain access to these strategic mines of great economic interest, often occupied and militarised, are also facts taken into account.

These are the so-called “conflict diamonds“, which, because they are sold to rich countries, end financing armed conflicts. The Kimberley Process, established in 2003, is a commitment signed by 56 countries to curb the production of these diamonds.

Today, as a result of the agreements signed by all member countries, only 0.2% of the diamonds that reach the final consumer are conflict diamonds. Even so, the process of obtaining and distributing them continues to be questioned throughout the world, in what appears to be a conflict with more interests than solutions.

From fake diamonds to organic diamonds

In 1952, the first lab-created diamonds, using the HPHT method (high pressure and high temperature), appeared. Since then, other labs and methods have been developed to imitate this mineral, always connected to the black market for the purpose of obtaining lower price imitations.

Recently, however, the diamond market has evolved towards an ecological vision, which rejects social and environmental exploitation without renouncing to the luxury associated with it. But with controversy due to the amount of energy that laboratories need to produce them, a common fact within industry, but which calls into questioning the sustainability label. Sources of energy used, the amount of water required and the management of distribution and waste can be key elements to curbing such impact.

Democratising diamonds to attract young people

Ecology and price (between 40% and 50% cheaper) are the two major factors that have managed to bring diamonds closer to society as a whole, including young people. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Penélope Cruz and Meghan Markle are joining the trend for synthetic luxury in their public appearances, and even jewellery brands such as the Danish Pandora are joining the trend in a radical way: they will only sell synthetic diamonds.

Thus, a new scenario is opening up in which the world of diamonds is changing its perspective. It is moving from exploitation to environmental awareness, from exorbitant prices to increased competition, and from being a luxury for the few to opening up to new audiences. The creation of synthetic diamonds does not imply, at present, overcrowding the sector, and the product still retains a high value, but for the first time, it is within the reach of the public.

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L’última edició de Statistical Review of World Energy 2024 fa una anàlisi exhaustiva de l’estat actual del sector energètic global, proporcionant dades clau sobre la producció, el consum i les emissions, així com del progrés en la transició energètica cap a un model més sostenible.

2023 va ser l’any més càlid des que es tenen registres i l’impacte del canvi climàtic es va deixar notar en tots els continents. L’últim Informe de Riscos Globals 2024 del Fòrum Econòmic Mundial constata que els esdeveniments meteorològics extrems, la pèrdua de biodiversitat, el col·lapse dels ecosistemes i l’escassetat de recursos naturals suposen el risc més gran per la humanitat durant la pròxima dècada. La causa principal és la crema de combustibles fòssils, que ha anat augmentant a mesura que ho ha fet la població humana. 

En aquest context, l’Statistical Review of World Energy 2024 és un informe elaborat per l’Energy Institute que ofereix una visió detallada de la producció i el consum mundial d’hidrocarburs i d’energies renovables, així com de les emissions de diòxid de carboni i sobre el progrés en la transició cap a un model energètic menys depenent dels combustibles fòssils, impulsat per una explotació cada vegada més competitiva de l’energia eòlica i solar.

L’anàlisi feta per l’Energy Institute confirma que el consum mundial d’energia primària durant el 2023 va augmentar un 2% respecte a l’any anterior, assolint un nou rècord per segon any consecutiu, amb els països no pertanyents a l’OCDE dominant tant la quota com les taxes de creixement anual. Es van observar màxims històrics en el consum de combustibles fòssils i emissions, però també en la generació d’energies renovables. 

Aquest augment del consum energètic reflecteix l’expansió econòmica, especialment en regions en vies de desenvolupament com l’Àsia, on països com la Xina i l’Índia continuen depenent dels combustibles fòssils, que continuen sent la base del seu desenvolupament per alimentar el creixement industrial. 

L’increment del consum energètic va venir acompanyat d’un augment del 2,1% en les emissions de diòxid de carboni, superant per primera vegada els 40.000 milions de tones mètriques de CO₂. La crema en torxa i els processos industrials van ser els principals causants de l’augment rècord d’emissions.

L’impuls de les renovables

La bona notícia és que les energies renovables van créixer a un ritme sis vegades superior al de l’energia primària total, representant el 14,6% del consum total. Això no obstant, els combustibles fòssils continuen dominant, constituint el 81,5% del consum d’energia primària.

La producció d’electricitat va créixer un 2,5%, amb una contribució de les energies renovables al 30% de la producció total. L’energia eòlica i solar van representar el 74% de tota la nova capacitat de generació elèctrica instal·lada, experimentant un creixement sense precedents gràcies a les importants addicions des de la Xina i Europa. En l’àmbit regional, l’Amèrica Central i del Sud van registrar la contribució més gran al creixement d’energies renovables, amb un 72%.

Amb més de 115 GW, les noves instal·lacions de producció d’energia eòlica van protagonitzar un any rècord. Gairebé el 66% d’aquesta nova capacitat afegida correspon a la Xina, que equival a la de Nord-amèrica i Europa juntes, tot i que Europa té la proporció més gran d’energia eòlica marina (12%). Quant a l’energia solar, va representar el 75% (346 GW) de la capacitat afegida, sent la Xina responsable del voltant d’una quarta part del creixement.

Tot i això, l’informe conclou que, si es volen complir els objectius climàtics i reduir les emissions de carboni, cal accelerar la transició cap a fonts d’energia més netes, al mateix temps que reconeix la diversitat de reptes en les diferents regions, reconeixent els marcats contrastos entre els hemisferis nord i sud.

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