The current sustainability trends include a reduction of energy consumption, a transition to renewable energy, plant based diets, net zero initiatives, and water conservation.

Companies are acting on climate change by limiting average global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

Many more are setting and meeting ambitious goals to invest in clean energy or transportation and drive sustainable solutions within their own business operations and global supply chains.

Also the food industry is changing. Each year, an estimated one third of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes worth around $1 trillion – ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices. Therefore another popular sustainability trend is the plant-based diet. The Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers have earned menu spots at vegan and non-vegan restaurants alike. Veggie meat, tofu, and tempeh are now popular supermarket items, and food delivery app GrubHub released data showing that orders for plant-based and vegan food is at an all-time high. This is due to consumer concern with the meat industry – not only the animal cruelty side, but the environmental impact. Like the renewables industry, the vegan lifestyle is becoming much more affordable, adding to its popularity.

As we move into the next decade we hope to see bolder corporate announcements that are rooted in science and address the legacy of a company’s operations. Such commitments set an expectation for other companies to follow. We have ten years to transform the world – we need every company and human accelerating and amplifying their positive impact.

Grade: 6º blue 

Teacher: Maria Jimenez

Introducción: 

What does the world do to help the planet to stop the contamination? On our planet there is a lot of garbage in the seas and on land and we are responsible and we have to do something about it.  Here are some cities that help save the environment.

México:

Stop the deforestation that is advancing in various regions of the country, guarantee the conservation of habitats and threatened species, attend to environmental emergencies, promote community forest management, comply with global commitments to face climate change and address the causes that have led to  That Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for defenders of the environment and territory are some of the environmental challenges that the country has for this 2020.

Among the commitments that Mexico adopted, and that it established in the General Climate Change Law, are to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% of the levels of 2000 by 2050. In addition, to have zero deforestation by 2030.

Italia: 

Italy's Council of Ministers has approved a bill to protect the sea and end plastic. The Council of Ministers approved last night (4.04.2019) this project called "Save the sea", which aims to preserve the marine ecosystem and promote the circular economy. The fundamental pillar of the bill is that it authorizes fishermen to collect the plastic that remains in their nets when they fish to prevent it from being thrown away again, as they did until now, and to end pollution in the seas.  "Fishermen will finally be able to collect the plastic that remains in their nets. Until now, they were forced to throw it back into the sea so as not to face a crime of illegal transport of waste and had to pay for its disposal," explained the environment minister.  Italian, Sergio Costa, on social media.

Grecia:

Greece is the “paradise” of plastic bags, constituting one of the Member States of the European Union with the highest per capita consumption rate of disposable plastic bags, but recently it has been able to reduce the number of lightweight plastic bags through a rate  environment.

The most relevant environmental problems in Mexico

1- Air pollution.

2- Deforestación.

3- Water pollution by chemical spills.

4- Water pollution by home drainage.

5- Species in danger of extinction and loss of biodiversity.

6- Fishing overexploitation.

7- Urban planning.

This are the 5 countries that most care about the environment:

Switzerland,

 Luxembourg, 

Australia, 

Singapore

 Czech Republic 

What are the top 10 environmental problems?

1.Climate change.

2.Contamination.

3.Deforestation.

4.Soil degradation.

5.Energy.

6.Lack of water.

7.Extinction of species and loss of biodiversity.

8.Invasion and illegal trafficking of species.

What can we do to help?

Don’t waste too much the water and electricity

Recycle 

Do not consume many plastics.  

Make responsible consumption (buy with conscience)

Always carry a reusable glass so you don't use plastic bottles.

What is an environmental problem?

 An environmental problem is any alteration that causes imbalance in a given  environment, negatively affecting it. These days the main factor of environmental deterioration is the unplanned activity of the human being.

If so, why is there still so much contamination?

The main causes of air pollution are related to the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas.  The combustion of these raw materials occurs mainly in the processes or in the operation of the industrial and road transport sectors.

The ideals and principles that constitute sustainability include broad concepts such as equity between generations, gender equity, peace, tolerance, poverty reduction, preservation and restoration of the environment, conservation of natural resources, and social justice.

What is the city that generates the most garbage?

It started in 1987. Sustainable development is the idea that human societies must live and meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The “official” definition of sustainable development was developed for the first time in the Brundtland Report in 1987