2013: Climate change year in review

Image from NASA 10 April 2013

With climate change in 2013, the more things changed…

‘Tis the season for retrospective assessment of the past year’s news, and climate change certainly made global headlines in 2013. On the science front, we heard about grim prospects under business as usual for projected temperature increases and associated global impacts on water and food security, human health, polar ice, sea level rise and species loss. When it came to extreme weather events, broken records started to sound like, well, broken records accompanied by human tragedy and economic loss.

…the more they stayed the same.

From a New Zealand perspective in 2013, the more the climate changed, the more climate change policy stayed the same. However, action is emerging in other ways, especially from the nation’s youth who are concerned about their future, local governments that want to future-proof urban development, and businesses that recognise the value of positioning New Zealand to compete under carbon constraints in the longer term.

You can download a free Silver Lining report New Zealand and Climate Change in 2013 with selected climate change news highlights from 2013, links to useful resources and some reflections on the coming year.

I have been working on large-scale climate change solutions professionally for about 20 years now, but this year it’s getting personal. My new year’s resolution is to take a fresh look at how I can reduce my own emissions, to share my views from the heart on the choices we face and to connect with other people who agree that if we don’t change, the climate certainly will.  I will be reporting my progress in my blog, and I warmly invite people to make this a conversation.

Have you thought about what you can do personally this year to reduce your emissions at home, at work and in your community? Perhaps starting with an emissions resolution can become a stepping stone towards an emissions revolution.

I wish everyone a bright and hope-filled start to the new year!

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