Prof. Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder :
Zero Emissions Day began in 2008 when its founder, Ken Wallace, launched a website in Nova Scotia, Canada, calling for September 21st to be a day when no fossil fuels are consumed. It has since grown into a global movement that seeks to implement a 24-hour temporary ban on the combustion of fossil fuels. “Giving our planet one day off a year” was the message, which was quite straightforward and easily understood by anyone. It was translated into 12 other languages.
The purpose of Zero Emissions Day is to offer a glimpse of what a world without of fossil fuel emissions may look like. A single day dedicated to raising awareness of the negative impacts of our daily emissions, which include the gases and particles produced during transportation, agriculture, and the production of power. As we observed during Covid lockdowns, air pollution drastically dropped when all human activity was interrupted worldwide. Since emissions directly impact both the environment and human health by causing climate change, air pollution, extreme weather events, and other problems, each individual must make an effort to reduce emissions. A recent analysis in 2007 found that 25 per cent of emitted CO2 will have an atmospheric lifetime of more than 5000 years. Studies of the climate response to declining CO2 concentrations have generally assumed that global temperatures will decrease in response to decreases in atmospheric CO2.
In governmental contracts, the issue of climate neutrality is becoming more important. Scopes, which encompass a variety of items, are frequently used.
Scope 1: Emissions come from sources like company-owned power plants or vehicle rentals that are located within the boundaries of the organisation under examination.
Scope 2: Electricity and heat from energy services make up the majority of emissions since they are produced using energy that is obtained from sources outside the organization.
Scope 3: All other emissions, such as those from suppliers, service providers, employees, or final consumers, are brought on by a company’s operations but beyond its control are considered emissions.
Ninety-nine per cent of the world’s population is now breathing polluted air, warns World Health Organization (WHO). Many nations have serious health concerns about the air pollution caused by traffic. Bangladesh is not different. During the past three decades, Bangladesh has experienced a dramatic shift in exposure to environmental health risks due to pollution. Currently, the government is preparing Air Pollution Control Rule instead of Clean Air Act 2019.
In the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries committed to balancing greenhouse gas emissions and removals in the second half of this century. To keep global warming below 2 °C, countries need long-term strategies for low-emission development. Without these, immediate emissions reductions may lock-in high-emitting infrastructure, hamper collaboration and make climate goals unachievable.
According to the International Energy Association, the urgent phase-out of fossil fuels is necessary if we are to achieve the global goal of being net-zero by 2050. A Dutch court gave Shell the mandate to align its carbon reductions with the Paris Agreement. It was a significant decision that established new standards for oil companies’ obligations to people and the environment.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) had reported about 4,959 brick kilns in the country in 2013 whereas the inventory conducted in 2018 under the Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (CASE) project reported about 8000 kilns. The Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) under the CASE project attributed about 10.4 per cent of fine particles in Dhaka city to vehicular emission and 7.7 per cent to road dusts. These are the major sources of emission in Dhaka city.
Bangladesh can take use of this day to increase awareness about the daily consumption of fossil fuels around the world and to discuss ways that each of us can reduce both our immediate and long-term carbon footprints. We can all start by following the 5 R’s: refuse, reduce, reuse, rot, and recycle. We can also minimize or stop using electricity produced by fossil fuels. Avoid buying single-use plastic and paper products, buy only the things actually needed, fix or up cycle objects to make them last longer, create a compost system for food scraps, and recycle all plastic, paper, glass, and metal materials properly. If less energy is needed, there is more flexibility for clean energy development.
Despite being one of the countries with the lowest emissions globally, Bangladesh reiterated at the Glasgow summit that it would reduce carbon emissions by 89.47 million tonnes, or 21.85 per cent of CO2, by 2030 as part of efforts to take part in global mitigation efforts to support renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation. This won’t be simple. Electric cars must be used in place of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. Essential will be sustainable public transportation. Waste reduction measures must be implemented in homes, renewable energy sources must take the lead, and agriculture must undergo a major revolution. We can all start making small changes that will contribute to making the world a better place and help preserve life on our planet. Additionally, Bangladesh must come up with a long-term solution to curb carbon emissions. Changes in agriculture and forestry, such as preventing deforestation and restoring natural ecosystems through replanting, would also be important to lessen stresses on ecosystems and improve their capacity to reduce carbonemission. Bangladesh claims that the latest Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) place Bangladesh’s overall greenhouse gas emissions at 169.06 million tonnes, with an expected increase to roughly 409.41 million tonnes by 2030.
(The writer is Dean, Faculty of Science and Chairman, Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University ngladesh).
