The world is in the midst of a global climate crisis—one that is impossible to ignore.

To avert the
worst-case climate scenarios, countries around the world have committed to reach carbon net-
zero by 2050. Addressing sustainability across all industries is a worldwide priority, and global
finance is no exception. 

The blockchain and digital asset industry will play a critical role in building a sustainable future
for global finance. We, as an industry, need to come together to dramatically reduce our
collective environmental impact as broad adoption takes hold.

This is why, today, Ripple is pledging to achieve carbon net-zero by 2030. We’re also partnering
with the XRP Ledger Foundation, Energy Web and Rocky Mountain Institute to decarbonize
public blockchains—starting with the XRP Ledger—through the use of the new open-source EW
Zero tool. Additionally, Ripple is driving new research with leading universities that
evaluates energy consumption across digital assets, credit card networks and cash.  

Our commitment to sustainability does not stop there. We put more resources behind initiatives
that accelerate the industry’s efforts, including:

 Comprehensively measuring Ripple’s own carbon footprint and reducing it by purchasing

clean, renewable energy for all of our offices and business activities globally.
 Investing in innovative carbon removal technology, with the goal of removing all of our
remaining emissions by 2030—and seeding the next generation of decarbonization technology
at scale.
 Partnering with the University College London (UCL) and the National University of
Singapore on research into the environmental impact of crypto adoption. 

Full implementation of these green, sustainable practices won’t happen overnight. It’s
imperative that industry leaders take responsibility now to reduce energy consumption, before
it’s too late. 

Sustainability Informs Future Economic Growth

As the world makes the transition to a clean energy future, sustainability is clearly a primary
ingredient and priority in driving future economic growth. In fact, the adoption of sustainable
measures across industries to reduce carbon emissions can save the global economy an
estimated $26 trillion by 2030. The global finance industry needs to contribute.

Examining long-term sustainability of money is one way we can contribute. Most currencies

today aren’t environmentally friendly, with the production and movement of money contributing
to pollution, deforestation and a large carbon footprint. By offering an alternative to cash that is
more efficient, accessible and sustainable, blockchain and digital assets are helping drive
impact today—and their crucial role in creating a more sustainable future for finance will grow
over time. 

When it comes to sustainability, however, digital assets aren’t all made equally. Bitcoin is
arguably the most widely known cryptocurrency, but by no means, is it the most sustainable.
Current cryptocurrency mining methods consume relatively large amounts of energy. In 2019
alone, Bitcoin transactions consumed almost as much energy as the country of Portugal does
on average, each year. In contrast, the digital asset XRP is a staggering 61,000x more energy
efficient than Bitcoin. 

With the adoption of innovative financial technologies like cryptocurrency and blockchain, we
must prioritize sustainability in parallel with this push toward digitization.

FinTech Is Poised to Lead a Carbon-Neutral Future for

Finance
Traditional finance is turning its attention to sustainability, with innovative advances from the
fintech space lending a helping hand. Fintech, including blockchain and crypto, are well
positioned to be at the forefront of global finance’s commitment to a more sustainable future. 

For instance, BlackRock, a global investment manager and technology provider, is helping its
clients invest sustainably, create sustainable products and engage with companies on
sustainability-related risks. Meanwhile, the Rocky Mountain Institute recently launched the
Center for Climate Aligned Finance, which includes commitments from some of the world’s
biggest financial providers to help create a low-carbon, sustainable economy and society.

With financial technology playing an increasingly large role in the growth of the global financial
system, the blockchain and digital asset industry has an opportunity to get sustainability right,
early on, and ensure what’s being built now will be sustainable well into the future. 

Our Role in Building a Sustainable Future

By partnering with technology and conservation organizations to ensure all blockchains can
become carbon neutral, Ripple is leading the sustainability charge. 

The XRP Ledger’s native digital asset XRP was specifically chosen to power RippleNet’s On-
Demand Liquidity (ODL) service for its immutable green aspects and its payment scalability.
With independent researchers suggesting that XRP transactions could grow by more than
1000% by 2025, this has massive implications for energy savings and the carbon footprint
reduction of blockchain-driven finance.

That is why we’re helping to launch the EW Zero open-source tool that enables any blockchain,
not just the XRP Ledger, to decarbonize through the purchase of renewable energy in local
markets in partnership with Energy Web Foundation. We’ve also committed substantial funding
to the XRP Ledger Foundation to support their efforts to engage developers in ensuring the
XRP Ledger remains a leader in sustainability.

The impact of climate change is moving at breakneck speed. Together with the clean energy
industry and global finance decision-makers, we can unite to position blockchain as the most
sustainable path forward in creating a green digital financial future.
https://www.embracingtheworld.org/environment/

Environmental sustainability is concerned with whether environmental resources will be

protected and maintained for future generations.

Issues of environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability is concerned with issues such as:

 Long-term health of ecosystems. Protecting the long-term productivity and health of

resources to meet future economic and social needs, e.g. protecting food supplies,
farmland and fishing stocks.
 Intergenerational decision making. When making economic decisions, we should
focus on implications for future generations, and not just the present moment. For
example, burning coal gives a short-term benefit of cheaper energy, but the extra
pollution imposes costs on future generations.
 Renewable resources: Diversifying into energy sources that do not rely on non-
renewable resources. For example, solar and wind power.
 Prevent the consequences of man-made global warming. Policies to ensure the
environment of the planet does not deteriorate to a point where future generations face
water shortages, extreme weather events, excess temperature. – All factors that could
make living in parts of the world very difficult if not possible.
 Protection of species diversity and ecological structure. Sometimes medicines
require elements within specific plant species. If some species go extinct, it limits future
technological innovation.
 Treating environmental resources as if they have intrinsic rights and value. In
other words, we shouldn’t just rely on a monetary value, i.e. we should protect
rainforests because they deserve to be protected rather than using a cost-benefit
analysis of whether we gain financially from protecting rainforests.
 Targetting social welfare/happiness and environmental sustainability above crude
measures of progress such as GDP. Measures of economic welfare
Policies to promote environmental sustainability ( suggestion )

 Carbon tax – a tax placed on production/consumption of carbon – e.g. burning fossil

fuels. The aim is to make users face the full social cost as opposed to just the private
cost.
 Government regulation to limit harmful emissions. For example, some cities have
promised to ban diesel cars by a certain date.
 Subsidising/encouraging more sustainable environmental practices. For example,
moving toward renewable energy, like solar and wind power rather than relying on non-
renewable energy sources which create pollution.
 Including all environmental consequences in the cost-benefit analysis of decision
making.
 Shifting consumer/firm behaviour through persuasion and use of behavioural economics
– for example discouraging the use of plastic tax.

Economics and sustainability

Traditionally economics has been more focused on the present moment – the short
term. Classical economist such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo placed substantial
emphasis on utility maximisation given the present choice between costs and utility of a
decision. This reflected societies belief that the environment was there to be utilised for
mankind’s benefit. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, there was little concern
over long-term environmental sustainability.

External costs
  A diagram showing a good that has an external cost and therefore social marginal cost
is greater than private marginal cost.
 In a free market, there will be overconsumption – output will be at Q1 – however, this
leads to social inefficiency (deadweight welfare loss)
However, with increased industrialisation, there was a slow awareness that production
and consumption could cause significant external costs to the rest of society. In 1920,
Arthur Pigou examined the concept of external costs. in his groundbreaking book The
Economics of Welfare. Pigou used an example of a firm building a factory in the city and
causes external costs to the city residents – such as pollution, loss of amenities. It was
an early attempt to broaden economics to consider impacts beyond the personal costs
and benefits.
By including external costs, it allows a framework to consider not just immediate
external costs but also future external costs related to environmental sustainability.
Economic growth and environmental sustainability

A big debate is the extent to which economic growth conflicts with environmental
sustainability.

 On the one hand – rising GDP and output leads to the higher consumption of resources,
greater pollution and greater demand on natural resources.
 However, certain types of economic growth can still be compatible with environmental
sustainability. For example, technological development has meant that in theory, we
could generate power from renewable resources.
 Therefore, it may not be necessary to stop economic growth, but change economic
growth, focusing on environmentally sustainable types of economic growth.

Developing solar power – leads to both cheaper energy, economic growth and improved
environmental sustainability.

Need update 2021

Kuznets curve

The Kuznets curve is a (controversial theory) that at one stage of economic

development, the environment degrades, but after a turning point, a post-industrial
service sector leads to declining environmental degradation. The thesis behind this is
questionned – see Kuznets curve
The World Bank Group's Environment Strategy 2012-2022 lays out an ambitious agenda to support
"green, clean, resilient" paths for developing countries, as they pursue poverty reduction and
development in an increasingly fragile environment.

The Environment Strategy, which covers the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC),
and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), recognizes that while there has been notable
progress in reducing global poverty, there has been significantly less progress in managing the
environment sustainably. While developing countries will still need rapid growth to reduce poverty
over the next decade, the global environment has reached a critical state that could undermine
livelihoods, productivity, and global stability.

Green

"Green" refers to a world in which natural resources, including oceans, land, and forests, are
sustainably managed and conserved to improve livelihoods and ensure food security. It's a world in
which healthy ecosystems increase all the economic returns from the activities they support. Growth
strategies are focused on overall wealth rather than GDP as it is currently measured. Governments
pursue regulations that encourage innovation, efficiency, sustainable budgeting, and green growth.
Biodiversity is protected as an economically critical resource. In this world, good policies enable the
private sector to use natural resources sustainably as part of good business, creating jobs and
contributing to long-term growth. 

Biodiversity continues to decline as a result of habitat destruction and degradation. Over the past 40
years, there have been significant declines in healthy ecosystems-e.g., forests, mangroves, sea
grass beds, coral reefs-and their flora and fauna populations, with species loss affecting everything
from fungi to insects, plants, frogs, tigers, and gorillas. Forests have seen annual losses of 5.2
million hectares between 2000 and 2010, despite declines in deforestation rates and increased
forest plantations. As a result, the capacity of ecosystems to provide services such as water
provisioning and flood control has declined significantly. Land degradation is also worsening as a
result of deforestation and poor agricultural practices, with soil erosion, salinization, and nutrient
depletion contributing to desertification. Freshwater supplies are seriously stressed, with 1.4 billion
people living in river basins in which water use exceeds recharge rates. Oceans and shared seas
are also under stress from climate change, overharvesting, pollution, and coastal development. The
decline of marine resources threatens the livelihoods of over 100 million men and women involved in
fish processing.

Through the global Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) partnership,
partnership, the Bank Group is supporting efforts to measure the value of countries’ natural assets
and thereby inform policy choices. The Bank Group is also supporting the Global Partnership for
Oceans to help restore the world's oceans to health and optimize their contributions to economic
growth and food security. In addition, the World Bank Group will build on its experience in carbon
finance to test the market's willingness to encourage the protection of critical habitat areas while also
providing carbon storage benefits; continue innovative work on forests and land use linked to the
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) program; and develop
methodologies to capture and monetize carbon co-benefits—for example, through wildlife
conservation programs. 

Clean

"Clean" refers to a low-pollution, low-emission world in which cleaner air, water, and oceans enable
people to lead healthy, productive lives. It is a world where development strategies put a premium on
access-so that rural women no longer spend their days hauling wood-alongside options for low-
emission, climate-smart agriculture, transport, energy, and urban development. Cleaner production
standards spur innovation, and industry is encouraged to develop clean technologies that provide
jobs and support sustainable growth. Companies and governments are held to account on their low-
emission, low-pollution commitments, and innovative financing helps to spur change. 

The poorest countries suffer directly and measurably from an increasingly polluted and degraded
environment, with women and children disproportionately affected. Air and water pollution are rising
sharply in cities in lower- and middle-income countries, and developing countries' water resources
are under threat from drawdown and pollution-human waste, phosphorus, and nitrogen that deplete
waterways of oxygen and causing the death of fish and invertebrates. The increased use of
fertilizers for food crops over the next 30 years is expected to result in a 10- to 20-percent global
increase in river nitrogen flows to coastal ecosystems (UNEP 2007). In some regions, levels of
heavy metals, stockpiles of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and other chemical wastes from
industry, which affect human and animal health, water supplies, and land, are increasing.
Meanwhile, carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, reaching a record high in 2010 and making it
more challenging to limit the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees by 2100.

Recognizing that countries cannot "grow dirty and clean up later," the Bank Group is encouraging
low-emission development strategies and innovative financing for renewable energies, climate-smart
agriculture, and lower-carbon cities. It is also supporting pollution management through river clean-
up and legacy pollution projects, using carbon finance funds to scale up use of cleaner stoves to
reduce indoor pollution for women and children, and developing partnerships with the private sector
to spur cleaner production standards and strategies.

Resilient

"Resilient" means being prepared for shocks and adapting effectively to climate change. In a resilient
world, countries are better prepared for more frequent natural disasters, more volatile weather
patterns, and the long-term consequences of climate change. Healthy and well-managed
ecosystems are more resilient and so play a key role in reducing vulnerability to climate change
impacts. Climate resilience is integrated into urban planning and infrastructure development.
Through effective social inclusion policies, countries and communities are better prepared to protect
vulnerable groups and fully involve women in decision-making. 

Climate change will increase the vulnerability of human and natural systems. The economic costs of
climate change and variability will be large, making it even more challenging to address issues of
poverty and environmental degradation. Natural hazards-earthquakes, droughts, floods, and storms-
continue to cause significant loss of life and economic damage, with women and children the most
affected by disasters. Cities and Small Island Developing States are also particularly vulnerable. 

The Bank Group is helping countries adapt to climate change through better coastal zone
management and climate-smart agriculture; improving disaster risk management by expanding the
use of climate risk insurance and other financial instruments to help with recovery after natural
disasters; and assisting vulnerable Small Island Developing States to reduce dependence on oil
imports, build sound infrastructure, and restore protective coastal ecosystems such as mangroves.

" The Environment Strategy recognizes that while there has been notable
progress in reducing global poverty, there has been significantly less
progress in managing the environment sustainably. "
The list – top 5 environmental

issues

1. Global warming.

2. Overpopulation.

3. Drought and access to fresh

water.

4. Plastic pollution.

5. Melting ice and increased sea levels.

The big global environmental issues

we need to resolve by 2030
Climate change is the big environmental problem that humanity will face over the
next decade, but it isn't the only one. We'll take a look at some of them — from
water shortages and loss of biodiversity to waste management — and discuss the
challenges we have ahead of us.

The third decade of the 21st century has begun and the environmental challenges we have ahead of us, set
out in the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, are many. This global plan of action adopted
in 2015 puts forward specific measures to achieve a world that is fairer, more prosperous and more
respectful of the environment within ten years. In this regard, the UN itself warns that we are running
late, and the question now is whether we still have time to save the planet. ( conclusion)

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION

 Global warming due to CO2 emissions — which according to the UN have increased by

almost 50% since 1990 — is accelerating climate change and threatens the survival of millions of
people, plants and animals by causing meteorological events like droughts, fires and floods, which are
becoming increasingly frequent and more extreme. This means we need to take measures to mitigate its
effects and adapt to its consequences which, even if we keep global warming under 2 ºC as required by
the Paris Agreements, will last for centuries.

POLLUTION PROBLEMS AND THEIR EFFECT ON HEALTH

  The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 90% of humanity breathes
polluted air, so is calling for a reduction in air pollution to cut rates of respiratory illnesses, thus
preventing seven million deaths a year. Contaminated water also causes major health problems and five
million deaths a year according to Oxfam Intermón. The UN advocates eliminating dumping, minimising
the use of chemicals and treating more wastewater, among other measures.

PROTECTING THE OCEANS

  The oceans have become the giant waste dumps for plastic. What's more, there are other serious
environmental problems related to the oceans such as damage to ecosystems due to global warming,
dumping of pollutants, wastewater and fuel spills. The UN calls for improved management of protected
areas, giving them sufficient resources, and reducing overfishing, pollution and acidification of the
ocean caused by the increase in the earth's temperature.

THE ENERGY TRANSITION AND RENEWABLES

  While energy accounts for 60% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the UN calculates
that 13% of the world population lacks access to electricity and that 3 billion people depend on fossil
fuels for cooking. This situation requires an energy transition towards a cleaner, more accessible and
efficient model based on the use of renewable energy sources to build communities that are more
sustainable, inclusive and resistant to environmental problems like climate change.
 A SUSTAINABLE FOOD MODEL

  Intensive food production harms the environment by depleting the soil and damaging
marine ecosystems. What's more, overexploitation of natural resources has put food safety and the
availability of drinking water at risk. The UN considers it essential to change the food production
model and our food habits, including a more plant-based diet featuring local ingredients to save energy
and reduce CO2 emissions.

PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY

  We have already lost 8% of known animal species and 22% are at risk of extinction due mainly
to the destruction of their natural habitats, poaching and the introduction of invasive species. The UN
has called for conclusive actions to put an end to these threats and conserve our natural
heritage, including our increasingly threatened forests.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILITY

  The growth of cities, which will need to accommodate around 5 billion people by 2030, will be
another of the decade's big environmental challenges. The metropolises of the future will need to be
compact, safe, inclusive, ecological and energy efficient, with more green spaces, more environmentally
friendly buildings and more sustainable methods of transport which put the needs of pedestrians above
those of traffic.

Three Environmental Action Guidelines

Key Activities

・Climate Change Measures

1. 1)　Promoting and disseminating outstanding energy-saving products,
systems, services and renewable energy businesses, together with our
stakeholders, we will contribute to reducing greenhouse gases worldwide.
2. 2)　Respecting long-term goals based on international agreements, we will
promote the reduction of greenhouse gases throughout the value chain, from
development, design, procurement of raw materials and production through sales,
distribution, use and disposal. At present, our target is to reduce CO 2 emissions 30%
by 2030 and more than 80% by 2050.
3. 3)　Observing changes in the global environment, we will provide solutions
that contribute to minimizing the risks of natural disasters.

・Resource Circulation
1. 1)　Reducing the size and weight of products, we will consider the use of
recycled materials and recyclability rate of the products and systems we produce.
2. 2)　Eliminating resource waste throughout the value chain, we will strive to
maximize the effective use of resources.
3. 3)　We will work to expand the supply of safe, clean water globally, as well as
to enforce water treatment that does not pollute oceans and rivers.
4. 4)　We will promote the effective use of water taking the water environment
of each region into consideration.
5. 5)　We will promote resource recycling businesses globally, such as reuse,
repair of products/systems and waste reduction.
6. 6)　We will aim to achieve 100% effective use of wastes, such as plastics,
generated during manufacturing processes.

・Live in Harmony with Nature

1. 1)　Throughout the Group, we will carry out activities to preserve biodiversity
in the mountains, rivers, and oceans, and at all business sites, and promote the
development of local environments and human resources to be passed to future
generations.
2. 2)　We will work to control, suppress, substitute, and properly dispose of
harmful substances that may affect the natural environment.　

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmental-issue

https://earth.org/the-biggest-environmental-problems-of-our-lifetime/

https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impacts-of-food

https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/environmental-sustainability-bangladesh-rmg-industry/
 https://databd.co/stories/creating-a-sustainable-environment-in-bangladesh-through-smart-solutions-
12596

Challenge to develop business innovations for future generations

Key Activities

・Long-term Activities
1. 1)　We will set specific indices and action items while considering future
prospects in the mid-term Environmental Plan formulated every three years.
2. 2)　We will verify the validity of long-term goals approximately every five
years, doing so considering international agreements, foreign affairs and business
conditions.

・Innovation
1. 1)　We will cooperate with other companies and institutions, and use our
technological assets, technologies and business synergies to create innovative
technologies and solutions.
2. 2)　We will proactively adopt innovational technologies and solutions that
enable us to lead manufacturing in future generations.

・Nurturing Human Resources

1. 1)　We will foster a corporate culture in which employees, as ordinary
citizens, take the initiative on creating new lifestyles in harmony with nature.
2. 2)　We will develop highly specialized human resources who accept diverse
values, and proactively work on environmental issues.
 Environmental effects of COVID-19 pandemic and potential strategies of sustainability

i Sustainable industrialization: Industrialization is crucial for economic growth; however, it's time to
think about sustainability. For sustainable industrialization, it is essential to shift to less energy-intensive
industries, use of cleaner fuels and technologies, and strong energy efficient policies (Pan, 2016).
Moreover, industries should be built in some specific zones, keeping in mind that waste from one
industry can be used as raw materials of the other (Hysa et al., 2020). After a certain period, industrial
zones should have been shut down in a circular way to reduce emission without hampering the national
economy. Again, industries especially readymade garments (RMG) and others where a huge number of
people work, proper distance and hygienic environment should maintain to reduce the spread of any
infectious communicable disease.

ii Use of green and public transport: To reduce emissions, it is necessary to encourage people to use
public transport, rather private vehicles. Besides, people should encourage to use bicycle in a short
distance, and public bike sharing (PBS) system (like China) should be available for mass usage, which is
not only environment friendly but also beneficial for health.

iii Use of renewable energy: Use of renewable energy can lower the demand of fossil fuels like coal, oil,
and natural gas, which can play an important role in reducing the GHGs emissions (Ellabban et al., 2014;
CCAC, 2019). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global energy demand is reduced, which results in the
reduction of emission and increased ambient air quality in many areas (Somani et al., 2020; Zambrano-
Monserrate et al., 2020). But, to maintain the daily needs and global economic growth, it is not possible
to cut-off energy demand like a pandemic situation. Hence, use of renewable energy sources like solar,
wind, hydropower, geothermal heat and biomass can meet the energy demand and reduces the GHGs
emission (Ellabban et al., 2014).

iv Wastewater treatment and reuse: To control the challenges of water pollution, both industrial and
municipal wastewater should be properly treated before discharge. Besides, reuse of treated
wastewater in non-production processes like toilet flushing and road cleaning can reduce the burden of
excess water withdrawal.

v Waste recycling and reuse: To reduce the burden of wastes and environmental pollution, both
industrial and municipal wastes should be recycled and reused. Hence, circular economy or circularity
systems should implement in the production process to minimize the use of raw material and waste
generation (Hysa et al., 2020). Moreover, hazardous and infectious medical wasteshould be properly
managed by following the guidelines (WHO, 2020c). It is now clear that majority of the people
(especially in developing countries) have a lack of knowledge regarding waste segregation and disposal
issues (Rahman et al., 2020). So, government should implement extensive awareness campaign through
different mass media, regarding the proper waste segregation, handling and disposal methods.

vi Ecological restoration and ecotourism: For ecological restoration, tourist spots should periodically
shutdown after a certain period. Moreover, ecotourism practice should be strengthened to promote
sustainable livelihoods, cultural preservation, and biodiversity conservation (Islam and Bhuiyan, 2018).
vii Behavioral change in daily life: To reduce the carbon footprint and global carbon emission, it is
necessary to change the behavior in our daily life and optimum consumption or resources like; avoid
processed and take locally grown food, make compost from food waste, switch off or unplug electronic
devices when not used, and use a bicycle instead of a car for short(er) distances.

viii International cooperation: To meet the sustainable environmental goals and protection of global
environmental resources, such as the global climate and biological diversity, combined international
effort is essential (ICIMOD, 2020). Hence, responsible international authority like United Nations
Environment Programme (UN Environment) should take effective role to prepare time-oriented policies,
arrange international conventions, and coordination of global leaders for proper implementation.

Directly or indirectly, the pandemic is affecting human life and the global economy, which is ultimately
affecting the environment and climate. It reminds us how we have neglected the environmental
components and enforced human induced climate change. Moreover, the global response of COVID-19
also teaches us to work together to combat against the threat to mankind. Though the impacts of
COVID-19 on the environment are short-term, united and proposed time-oriented effort can strengthen
environmental sustainability and save the earth from the effects of global climate change.

The Biggest Environmental

Problems Of 2021
The climate crisis is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, and we are not ready for
it. While the crisis has many factors that play a role in its exacerbation, there are
some that warrant more attention than others. Here are some of the biggest
environmental problems of our lifetime. 

Poor Governance

According to economists like Nicholas Stern, the climate crisis is a result of multiple
market failures. 
Economists and environmentalists have urged policymakers for years to increase the
price of activities that emit greenhouse gases (one of our biggest environmental
problems), the lack of which constitutes the largest market failure, for example through
carbon taxes, which will stimulate innovations in low-carbon technologies.

To cut emissions quickly and effectively enough, governments must not only massively
increase funding for green innovation to bring down the costs of low-carbon energy
sources, but they also need to adopt a range of other policies that address each of the
other market failures. 

A national carbon tax is currently implemented in 25 countries around the world,
including various countries in the EU, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Ukraine and
Argentina. However, according to the 2019 OECD Tax Energy Use report, current tax
structures are not adequately aligned with the pollution profile of energy sources. For
example, the OECD suggests that carbon taxes are not harsh enough on coal production,
although it has proved to be effective for the electricity industry. A carbon tax has been
effectively implemented in Sweden; the carbon tax is USD $127 per tonne and has
reduced emissions by 25% since 1995, while its economy has expanded 75% in the same
time period. 

Further, organisations such as the United Nations are not fit to deal with the climate
crisis: it was assembled to prevent another world war and is not fit for purpose. Anyway,
members of the UN are not mandated to comply with any suggestions or
recommendations made by the organisation. For example, the Paris Agreement, an
agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, says
that countries need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly so that global
temperature rise is below 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, and ideally under 1.5 degrees. But
signing on to it is voluntary, and there are no real repercussions for non-compliance.
Further, the issue of equity remains a contentious issue whereby developing countries are
allowed to emit more in order to develop to the point where they can develop
technologies to emit less, and it allows some countries, such as China, to exploit this. 

Food Waste

A third of the food intended for human consumption- around 1.3 billion tons- is wasted or
lost. This is enough to feed 3 billion people. Food waste and loss accounts for 4.4
gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually; if it was a country, food waste would be
the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the US. 

Food waste and loss occurs at different stages in developing and developed countries; in
developing countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the post-harvest and processing levels,
while in developed countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the retail and consumer
levels. 

At the retail level, a shocking amount of food is wasted because of aesthetic reasons; in
fact, in the US, more than 50% of all produce thrown away in the US is done so because
it is deemed to be “too ugly” to be sold to consumers- this amounts to about 60 million
tons of fruits and vegetables. This leads to food insecurity, another one of the biggest
environmental problems on the list. 

Biodiversity Loss

The past 50 years have seen a rapid growth of human consumption, population, global
trade and urbanisation, resulting in humanity using more of the Earth’s resources than it
can replenish naturally. 

A recent WWF report found that the population sizes of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles
and amphibians have experienced a decline of an average of 68% between 1970 and
2016. The report attributes this biodiversity loss to a variety of factors, but mainly land-
use change, particularly the conversion of habitats, like forests, grasslands and
mangroves, into agricultural systems. Animals such as pangolins, sharks and seahorses
are significantly affected by the illegal wildlife trade, and pangolins are critically
endangered because of it. 

More broadly, a recent analysis has found that the sixth mass extinction of wildlife on
Earth is accelerating. More than 500 species of land animals are on the brink of extinction
and are likely to be lost within 20 years; the same number were lost over the whole of the
last century. The scientists say that without the human destruction of nature, this rate of
loss would have taken thousands of years. 

Plastic Pollution 

In 1950, the world produced more than 2 million tons of plastic per year. By 2015, this
annual production swelled to 419 million tons. 

A report by science journal, Nature, determined that currently, roughly 11 million tons of
plastic make its way into the oceans every year, harming wildlife habitats and the animals
that live in them. The research found that if no action is taken, this will grow to 29
million metric tons per year by 2040. If we include microplastics into this, the cumulative
amount of plastic in the ocean could reach 600 million tons by 2040.
Shockingly, National Geographic found that 91% of all plastic that has ever been made is
not recycled, representing not only one of the biggest environmental problems of our
lifetime, but another massive market failure. Considering that plastic takes 400 years to
decompose, it will be many generations until it ceases to exist.

Deforestation

Every minute, forests the size of 20 football fields are cut down. By the year 2030, the
planet might have only 10% of its forests; if deforestation isn’t stopped, they could all be
gone in less than 100 years. 

Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, another one of the biggest

environmental problems appearing on this list. Land is cleared to raise livestock or to
plant other crops that are sold, such as sugar cane and palm oil. Besides for carbon
sequestration, forests help to prevent soil erosion, because the tree roots bind the soil and
prevent it from washing away, which also prevents landslides. 

The three countries experiencing the highest levels of deforestation are Brazil, the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia, however Indonesia is tackling
deforestation, now seeing the lowest rates since the beginning of the century. 

Air Pollution

Research from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that an estimated 4.2 to 7

million people die from air pollution worldwide every year and that nine out of 10 people
breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants. In Africa, 258 000 people died as a
result of outdoor air pollution in 2017, up from 164 000 in 1990, according to UNICEF.
This comes mostly from industrial sources and motor vehicles, as well as emissions from
burning biomass and poor air quality due to dust storms. 

In Europe, a recent report from the EU’s environment agency showed that air pollution
contributed to 400 000 annual deaths in the EU in 2012 (the last year for which data was
available). 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, attention has been put on the role that air
pollution has in transporting the virus molecules. Preliminary studies have identified
a positive correlation between COVID-19-related mortalities and air pollution and there
is also a plausible association of airborne particles assisting the viral spread. This could
have contributed to the high death toll in China, where air quality is notoriously poor,
although more definitive studies must be conducted before such a conclusion can be
drawn. 
Agriculture 

Studies have shown that the global food system is responsible for up to one third of all
human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, of which 30% comes from livestock and
fisheries. Crop production releases greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide through the
use of fertilisers. 

60% of the world’s agricultural area is dedicated to cattle ranching, although it only
makes up 24% of global meat consumption. 

Agriculture not only covers a vast amount of land, but it also consumes a vast amount of
freshwater, another one of the biggest environmental problems on this list. While arable
lands and grazing pastures cover one-third of Earth’s land surfaces, they consume three-
quarters of the world’s limited freshwater resources.

Scientists and environmentalists have continuously warned that we need to rethink our
current food system; switching to a more plant-based diet would dramatically reduce the
carbon footprint of the conventional agriculture industry. 

Global Warming From Fossil Fuels

At time of publication, CO2 PPM (parts per million) is at 410 and the global temperature

rise is 0.89 degrees Celsius. 

Increased emissions of greenhouse gases have caused temperatures to rise, which are
causing catastrophic events all over the world- just this year has seen Australia
experience one of the most devastating bushfire seasons ever recorded, locusts
swarming across parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, decimating crops, scientists
warning that the planet has crossed a series of tipping points that could have catastrophic
consequences, microplastic being found in Antarctic ice for the first time, a heatwave in
Antarctica that saw temperatures rise above 20 degrees for the first time, warnings of
advancing permafrost melt in Arctic regions, the Greenland ice sheet melting at an
unprecedented rate, news of the accelerating sixth mass extinction, increasing
deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, warnings of air pollution exacerbating the spread
of COVID-19, China experiencing its worst floods in decades, methane levels rising to
their highest on record, Canada’s last intact ice shelf collapsing, a national park in the US
recording the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth, 13% of deaths in the EU being
linked to various forms of pollution, a report saying that population sizes of wildlife have
experienced an average decline of 68% since 1970 and record-breaking wildfires in
California that have blocked out the sun– and these are just a fraction of the events. 
The climate crisis is causing tropical storms and other weather events such as hurricanes,
heat waves and flooding to be more intense and frequent than seen before. However, a
study has found that even if all greenhouse gas emissions were halted in 2020, global
warming would only be halted by around 2033. It is absolutely imperative that we reduce
greenhouse gas emissions; thankfully, this year is set to see the highest uptake of
renewable energy projects around the world.  

Melting Ice Caps 

The climate crisis is warming the Arctic more than twice as fast as anywhere else on the
planet. Seas are now rising an average of 3.2 mm per year globally, and are predicted to
climb to a total of 0.2 to 2m by 2100. In the Arctic, the Greenland Ice Sheet poses the
greatest risk for sea levels because melting land ice is the main cause of rising sea levels.

Representing arguably the biggest of the environmental problems, this is made all the
more concerning considering that last year’s summer triggered the loss of 60 billion tons
of ice from Greenland, enough to raise global sea levels by 2.2mm in just two months.
According to satellite data, the Greenland ice sheet lost a record amount of ice in 2019:
an average of a million tons per minute throughout the year, one of the biggest
environmental problems that has cascading effects.

If the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, sea level would rise by six metres.

Meanwhile, the Antarctic continent contributes about 1 millimeter per year to sea level
rise, which is a third of the annual global increase. 

Additionally, the last fully intact ice shelf in Canada in the Arctic recently collapsed,
having lost about 80 sq km, or 40%, of its area over a two-day period in late
July, according to the Canadian Ice Service. 

The sea level rise will have a devastating impact on those living in coastal regions:
according to research and advocacy group Climate Central, sea level rise this century
could flood coastal areas that are now home to 340 million to 480 million people, forcing
them to migrate to safer areas and contributing to overpopulation and strain of resources
in the areas they migrate to. 

Food and Water Insecurity

Rising temperatures and unsustainable farming practices has resulted in the increasing
threat of water and food insecurity. 
Globally, more than 68 billion tonnes of top-soil is eroded every year at a rate 100 times
faster than it can naturally be replenished. Laden with biocides and fertiliser, the soil ends
up in waterways where it contaminates drinking water and protected areas downstream. 

Furthermore, exposed and lifeless soil is more vulnerable to wind and water erosion due
to lack of root and mycelium systems that hold it together. A key contributor to soil
erosion is over-tilling: although it increases productivity in the short-term by mixing in
surface nutrients (e.g. fertiliser), tilling is physically destructive to the soil’s structure and
in the long-term leads to soil compaction, loss of fertility and surface crust formation that
worsens topsoil erosion.

With the global population expected to reach 9 billion people by mid-century, the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) projects that global food
demand may increase by 70% by 2050. Around the world, more than 820 million people
do not get enough to eat. 

The UN secretary-general António Guterres says, “Unless immediate action is taken, it is

increasingly clear that there is an impending global food security emergency that could
have long term impacts on hundreds of millions of adults and children.” He urged for
countries to rethink their food systems and encouraged more sustainable farming
practices. 

In terms of water security, only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of
that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.

As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7
billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. By 2025, two-thirds of the
world’s population may face water shortages. 

While these are some of the biggest environmental problems plaguing our planet, there
are many more that have not been mentioned, including overfishing, urban sprawl, toxic
superfund sites and land use changes. While there are many facets that need to be
considered in formulating a response to the crisis, they must be coordinated, practical and
far-reaching enough to make enough of a difference. 

Sustainable environment in Bangladesh through smart solution

A smart environmental system is one of the cornerstones of creating sustainable progress. As
pollution levels increase across the globe, harnessing technology to create a better and more
sustainable environment is now more important than ever. The case for Bangladesh is even
more compelling as it is marked to be one of the worst victims of environmental problems in
the world

What is Smart Environment Management?

The idea of a smart environment is to create an environment embedded with sensors, displays
and computing devices for inhabitants to better understand the environment. This also gives
them the ability to control and monitor different environmental factors like pollution, waste,
energy, etc., and create a more sustainable habitat. The impacts of creating a smart
environment are as far reaching as reducing carbon footprints, creating alternative energy
sources, avoiding fossil fuels and protecting natural habitats.

Case in Perspective: Bangladesh

About 80% of the total land area of Bangladesh are flood plains and most of the people in the
country are directly and indirectly dependent on agriculture.[1] So ecological and
environmental patterns significantly impact the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.
Moreover, it is estimated that, at the current levels of climate change, by 2050, 1 of every 50
inhabitants of Bangladesh will be displaced and the country will lose about 11% of its
land. With 28% of the total population living along the coast line, mass displacements
would add to the already intolerable population density and cause insurmountable loss of
livelihood.[2] So, taking care of the environment and using technology to tackle these oncoming
disasters are the greatest challenges for the country right now. 

Almost all of the sectors of the country are at the whims of the environment and progress is only
possible when these things properly dealt with. The interest of Bangladesh in creating a smart
environment can be roughly divided into protecting agriculture in rural areas and creating
healthier, more sustainable urban areas.

Agriculture and Food Security: The Drivers of Rural Bangladesh

Agriculture is one of the hardest hit sectors of the country in case of any climate change or
natural disaster. The sector provides Bangladesh with around 13% of its GDP and employs
around 40% of its total labour force.[3] So, millions of lives are left at the whims of the
environment and climate in Bangladesh if no prompt action is taken. The risk in the agriculture
sector is multifaceted as it involves multiple supply chains and operates in almost every part of
Bangladesh. The broad risks are:

1. Rice makes up for 77% of the total arable land in Bangladesh. Increasing

temperatures, prolonged and more frequent droughts and flooding, and losses caused
by increasing soil salinity are projected to decrease rice production by 8 percent by
2050.[1] This implies that a large part of our supply of daily nutrition will be lost.
2. Changing climatic conditions have also contributed to the prevalence of wheat blast, a
disease that destroys wheat crops in Bangladesh. 
 3. As crops require specific temperatures and ecological settings to grow, changing
environment means lesser yields and more food shortage. Natural disasters also
increase in frequency and wreak havoc on the lives of the large coastal communities
because of climate changes.

How Smart Environment Management Systems can Increase Food Security in Bangladesh

 Saving Crops: Artificial intelligence has been a topic of discussion in the agriculture

arena for a very long time. AI Technology like Greenhouse Guardian is being used to
spot pests in crops without any physical monitoring.[4] In other places, AI is being used
to take care of crops remotely, provide water and feed regularly and ensure keep
track of growth.[5]

In Bangladesh, large crop harvests can be monitored using technology and regular reports can
help track the health of crops. Any abnormal patterns can help detect diseases and keep
losses to a minimum. Use of water and fertilizer can be optimized too by using proper need-
forecasting. Through this, farmers can be ready for droughts and other sudden shortages. Air
and water quality can also be monitored to better understand bad crop yields and take
appropriate measures.

 Mitigating Disaster Damage: Disasters such as cyclones, floods are being successfully
predicted everyday around the world. These systems help administrations take
appropriate measures to minimize damages.

In Bangladesh, it is often difficult to reach all coastal people in time to evacuate them.
Technology such as real time tracking and notifications can help make people aware of
any potential disaster beforehand so they can relocate and thus lives and livelihood can be
saved.

 Bridging Labour Gaps: Farming has always been labour intensive work and this trend
has begun to change only recently. With the introduction of automation in crop
harvesting, picking etc. farmers are making farms more efficient.

The use of automation can be made possible in areas such as rice harvesting, land
fertilizing etc. in Bangladesh. This will decrease the demand for manual labour in farmers and
make their farms more efficient creating more yield from less input.

Pollution, Waste and Energy: Barriers to Sustainable Urban Areas

Air quality in Bangladesh has been recorded to be hazardous with Dhaka being the 21st most
polluted city, according to the 2019 World Air Quality Report.[6] According to a report from
Greenpeace Southeast Asia and Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, Bangladesh
loses USD 14 Billion a year due to air pollution alone.[7] So, pollution stands as a major threat
to both our lives and economy. With our booming industries, proper electric supplies are
absolutely essential. Bangladesh deals with a deficit in electricity production and all of these
impact the country in multiple ways:
 1. Newborns are one of the most vulnerable groups in polluted environments. An
estimated 96,000 children died before reaching the age of 5 due to PM 2.5 air
pollution in Bangladesh in 2018. PM 2.5 is basically atmospheric particulate matter with
a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers. It is dangerous because it is lighter than other
types of particulate matter, and tends to stay in the air longer.[7] Besides this, air pollution
causes multiple chronic illnesses and causes millions of hospital visits and billions in
medical expenditure.

2. The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters of the world. About 8 to 10 percent of
the global greenhouse gas emission comes from fashion industries. This is more
than the aviation shipping and maritime industries combined.[8] Bangladesh, being one of
the largest RMG producers, produces a significant amount of pollution in the form
of toxic waste dumped in rivers and poisonous fumes released into the air. Three
rivers around the capital were declared to be biologically dead due to the pollution from
the surrounding factories and there are multiple rivers that are practically unsalvageable
at this point.[9]
3. Pesticide contamination has also been one of the major sources of water body
pollutants in the country. A study found around 18% to 24% of farmers to be stricken
with different health related problems due to occupational exposure of pesticides.
Pesticide residues have also been known to cause diseases like cancer and heart
diseases.[10]
4. Although the demand of energy has increased by 10% every year in Bangladesh,
the supply growth is yet to catch up to the large demand. A large portion of the
total 22,562 MegaWatt electricity production remains underutilized due to gas
scarcity, inefficiency related to the aged system and inadequate transmission and
distribution networks. So although the country has ensured access to electricity for
94% of its population, blackouts and load shedding due to shortages cause considerable
losses to the economy every year.[11]

Smart Environment Management for a More Sustainable City

 The Jhoot Business: As the city grows, recycling is now more important than ever.
There are multiple opportunities to recycle the cloth waste (known as Jhoot) from
garments. Although, Jhoot export has been growing by 15% to 20% in recent times,
 Bangladesh stands a chance to bring in USD 4 Billion per year from this particular
market if the country can mobilize its resources properly.[12] The processing costs for
these are relatively low and hence this can be implemented and scaled up easily and
with less capital investment.
 Energy Efficiency: With the fourth industrial revolution, solutions that keep monitoring
electric consumption and try to optimize performance have gotten increasingly popular
because of their massive benefits. Motion sensors to detect movement in empty rooms
to optimize lighting, apps to notify users about high electricity wastage points in
buildings, lighting systems that stop automatically when there is sunlight are only
a few solutions that can massively reduce electricity consumption on a micro scale. For
industries, more efficient machines that give better output with less consumption are
coming to the market everyday. These work on a macro scale to decrease energy
consumption.
 Pollution Detection and Prevention: There are multiple apps like “Air Quality” that
notify the user whenever they are in a high pollution zone and provide them with advice
on what to do to stay safe. These apps also display trends that help the user get greater
insight into environmental data. High tech face masks that run on batteries are also
available in the market that have in-built battery-run filters that purify the air for
breathing. 

To prevent pollution, large scale Effluent Treatment Plants have to be installed in garment

factories and air filters have to be made more common in brick kilns. 

The Way Forward to a Sustainable and Smart

Environment
The government has already announced a waste-to-energy plant as a part of a joint project
between the Local Government Division and the Power Division. The plant will be the
first of its kind in the country and will use solid municipal waste (SMW) collected from the
city corporation areas of Dhaka and Chattogram. Although the first project will be implemented
in North Dhaka, there are plans for expansion throughout the country.[13] Besides, the World
Bank has already approved a USD 170 Million Project for improving sanitation that
includes a state of the art sewage treatment plant.[15] Projects like this hold a strong promise
for a better and sustainable environment in the country and have to be brought to micro levels
too. 

Given the impending impact of climate change and pollution on Bangladesh, time is of the
essence in creating a more sustainable environment. So more manpower and money has to be
funneled in tech based environment projects so that the country can take the best possible
preparation for this crisis.

Some reference
  CLIMATE RISK PROFILE BANGLADESH  – USAID
 2. CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT IN BANGLADESH  – Environmental Justice Foundation
 3. GDP, SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT  – Bangladesh Economic Review
 4. A bumper crop courtesy of AI  – Bosch Global
 5. How AI Is Transforming Agriculture  – Forbes
 6. Bangladesh air worst in world  – The Daily  Star
 7. Bangladesh loses $14bn a year to air pollution  – The Business Standard
 8. Fashion has a misinformation problem. That’s bad for the environment  – Vox
 9. Bangladesh’s garment factories pollute rivers  – Al Jazeera
 10. Water pollution in Bangladesh and its impact on public health  – US National Library of
Medicine
 11. The World Bank In Bangladesh  – World Bank
 12. The story of waste fabric (Jhoot): Positioning Bangladesh  – Textile Today
 13. Turning waste into energy  – The Daily Star
 14. Bangladesh air world’s worst in 2019  – The Business Standard
 15. World bank approves $170M Bangladesh sanitation project  – Anadolu Agency