Indeed, 2022 has been a particularly troublesome year, with frequent reports of natural disasters and drastic changes in the weather. The unpredictability of the weather conditions has led to concerns regarding the future of humanity. Although many are familiar with the terms climate change, global warming, and pollution, they may not all fully grasp the significance and dangers of these phenomena. For the future of society, it is time to tackle climate change before it is too late.

In August 2022, Korea experienced its heaviest rainfall in 115 years. At least 14 people were killed and six went missing during the disastrous, non-stop downpour. The main streets of Gangnam, Seoul, were flooded with muddy water that came up to the thighs of unfortunate pedestrians as they waded across the sidewalk, with many abandoning their cars. Water poured into subway stations, people were swept into open manholes, and others drowned in their houses. Korea’s unprecedented rainfall left the whole nation in shock. No one—not even those who live in the most affluent areas—was exempt from the consequences of this year’s flooding. This was a wake-up call for many citizens, who now face the prospect of this extreme weather no longer being considered extreme, but rather becoming the new normal. Unfortunately, this may only be the beginning; worse may be yet to come.

Climate Change at its Worst

Korea has not been the only country that has suffered from drastic weather changes recently. In August, Pakistan struggled to recover from disastrous rainfall and flooding. As reported by CNN, Pakistan’s Minister of Climate Change stated that at least 33 million people had been affected by the flooding. Australia and the United States (U.S.) also experienced intense downpours that left hundreds homeless. While certain countries have suffered from an excessive amount of rain, others have been struggling with too little rain. This year, Europe faced its most severe drought after hitting record-breaking temperatures and experiencing heat waves. For the first time in history, the temperature in the United Kingdom (UK) exceeded 40°C. Africa is also facing a similar situation as millions are threatened by famine due to extreme drought.

The catastrophic drought in Central Europe has revealed hunger stones across rivers in Europe. These are carved stones that were created as markers to commemorate historic droughts from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Although the stones are only visible when the water levels are extremely low, they have been spotted in multiple locations across Europe, which has just experienced its worst drought in 500 years. The hunger stones are engraved with ominous warnings, as the one on the hunger stone in the Elbe River in the Czech Republic states: “When you see me, weep.” This hunger stone was created in the early 20th century, warning future generations of devastating famine and drought. The silently emerging hunger stones serve as an apocalyptic signal of the threat humanity is facing. It is a red alert that calls for urgent action.

The global community’s main goal for tackling climate change is to restrain the increase in the Earth’s average temperature to under 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. According to Professor Jeong Sujong (Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University), the annual global average temperature has already increased by 1.1°C compared to pre-industrial levels, with the possibility that it could exceed 1.5°C in less than 20 years. Once the temperature crosses the 1.5°C boundary, global warming will cause irrevocable damage to the Earth’s climate and the inhabitants of the planet. Many natural ecosystems will be heavily damaged, more people will suffer from extreme weather, and many will die from disease and famine.

Furthermore, Professor Jeong emphasizes that the most serious consequence of the continuously rising global temperatures is that it exacerbates the unpredictability of future climate change. This unpredictability is problematic because it prevents effective preparation for and recovery from extreme weather. Professor Jeong adds that, once a record is broken, there is no going back. For instance, once the maximum temperature reaches 30°C, it will not be long before another heatwave hits 40°C. Professor Jeong explains that carbon emissions are not visible like fine dust, which may be the reason for the lack of awareness and the rise in misinformation about global warming despite its seriousness.

While many individuals are simply indifferent toward climate change, others directly deny climate change altogether. Donald Trump, a well-known climate change skeptic, famously insisted that climate change is a hoax. Unfortunately, he is not the only one to argue this. One of the main arguments of skeptics is that climate change is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is not caused by human activity. Professor Jeong refutes these claims, explaining that the most relevant scientific data clearly indicates that the drastic changes in global average temperatures are unexplainable unless the consequences of humans and their impact on the environment are considered. Moreover, he points out how climate change skeptics cherry-pick their data by excluding any information that goes against their arguments. Professor Jeong states that tackling climate change is, in fact, a matter of raising social awareness and resolving misunderstandings amongst those who are driving this change in the first place: humans.

The Responsibility of the International Community

As explained by Professor Chung Suh-Yong (Division of International Studies), climate change poses a grave threat to the international community, thus it is only possible to effectively act against climate change as a collective international group, not as individual nations. While it is ideal for all countries to effectively coordinate their actions, Professor Chung argues that this cooperation is unlikely due to differences in national interests and resources. Although overcoming climate change is urgent for the international community, it may not hold equal significance for individual nations.

Furthermore, although climate change is a global crisis, lower-income countries bear a heavier burden due to their lack of infrastructure and governmental power. In fact, those who have contributed the least to climate change face the worst of its consequences. Essentially, climate change aggravates economic inequalities. Thus, some of the world’s heaviest polluters do not feel the need to immediately act in response to the current crisis.

To overcome the inevitably nationalistic behavior of nations, international agreements have been established to encourage and enforce a collective global response. Currently, the most significant international treaty for battling climate change is the Paris Agreement, which came into force in 2016. The Paris Agreement represents meaningful progress because it was the first binding agreement to institutionalize a common framework for nations to combat climate change. The main goal of the Paris Agreement is to restrict the increase in the annual average global temperature to 2°C, and preferably to under 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. Professor Chung explains that the Paris Agreement serves as a constitution of sorts for addressing climate change and that it can be used to support developing countries. Addressing the inequalities resulting from the unequal burden of climate change, the Paris Agreement affirms the responsibility of developed countries to provide financial, technical, and capacity-building assistance to those in need.

Moreover, according to Professor Chung, the Paris Agreement provides a new framework based on incentives rather than regulations. Countries that have signed the Paris Agreement are obligated to report their actions and progress in cutting down carbon emissions. Professor Chung points to the “measurement, reporting and verification” (MRV) system, in which the Paris Agreement provides incentives for those who have managed to show significant progress in reducing carbon emissions. After measuring the specific reduction in emissions, the measurements are reported to a third party who verifies the results so that credits are issued and paid to nations. Mechanisms such as this can encourage states to voluntarily but actively cut their emissions.

However, there are concerns that current efforts are not sufficient to bring about progress. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report 2022, the only solution to prevent the 1.5°C level from being breached within the next 20 years is to cut emissions by 45 percent over the next decade, which seems unachievable. In April 2022, in a video message at a virtual press conference held by the IPCC, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres described the IPCC’s report as “a file of shame, cataloging the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world”. His words directly highlight the irresponsibility of many nations in combatting climate change as they fail to keep their promises and commitments, leading to a sense of distrust and reluctance within the international community. The only possible way is to ensure countries prioritize the reduction in carbon emissions as their main goal is by utilizing all technology and resources possible. Because current efforts are clearly not sufficient, the international society needs to devise strategies that lead to actual change.

Demanding Challenges

In addition to international cooperation, climate change has become the 21st century’s most important environmental challenge for individuals as well. It is undeniable that younger generations are likely to be the biggest victims of climate change, given that it threatens the future sustainability of humanity. According to a report published by Science in 2021, people born in 2020 will face greater climate impacts over their lifetimes compared with older generations, leading younger generations to become more socially aware of climate issues. Given these concerns, the world is moving towards more active engagements in climate change matters, and ethical and environmentally sustainable practices by individuals are required. More specifically, the long-term shift in the planet’s weather patterns has greatly reshaped the operating environment for companies, who need to make an effort to mitigate their negative environmental impacts while continuing to generate profit.

Promoted by the widespread interest in climate issues, companies have turned to business models that emphasize social responsibility, enabling them to support sustainable development. The environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework is a set of standards that evaluates the sustainability and societal impact of a company. Because it has recently received significant attention in the business world today, many companies have incorporated ESG strategies to achieve greater environmental awareness and promote a more sustainable economy. With this, ESG marketing strategies for promoting environmentally friendly products and services have also emerged. As consumers are becoming more concerned about the sustainability of products and services, corporations are pursuing green marketing initiatives.

However, problems have arisen because some companies attempt to profit from this ESG strategy by building an eco-friendly corporate image without internalizing this greenness. This is referred to as greenwashing, where brands promote misleading acts or tackle a green marketing approach to commodities that are not essentially sustainable. For instance, Starbucks Korea was accused of greenwashing in 2021 when celebrating its 50th anniversary. The company had launched an ambitious campaign to serve drinks in reusable cups and encourage the practice of environmental protection, only to have these reusable cups be made from polypropylene (PP), a common type of non-reusable plastic material. According to research by RepRisk, an ESG data science company, one in every five climate-related violations involving ESG companies over the past two years was linked to greenwashing. Unfortunately, greenwashing is difficult to detect, making it a great challenge when seeking to boost climate awareness.

Public condemnation has not only targeted big-name companies. Celebrities and other wealthy individuals are being criticized for their exorbitant lifestyles and their negative influence on society as a result. In fact, the Los Angeles Times reported that Kim Kardashian, a social media influencer, was among 2,000 people who were issued “notices of exceedance” by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. The report revealed that she had accumulatively used more than 150 percent of her monthly water budget despite the state of emergency due to the drought that had been declared in this district last year. What makes Kim’s situation more controversial is that she was known to be a supporter of climate change actions, having publicly praised Greta Thunberg, a climate activist, for her bravery in standing up against practices and institutions that worsen climate change. Using celebrities to address climate change is an intriguing idea because they have the influence necessary to promote awareness of an issue and impact the behavior of the public. However, the idea of individual accountability in response to global warming still has room for improvement, and the idea of fighting global warming through the actions of companies and individuals seems to matter more than ever.

South Korea’s Climate Crisis

South Korea has also been dealing with the massive impact of the climate crisis. In fact, it has been confirmed that the pace of warming in South Korea had surpassed the global average, rising by 0.8℃ more than the global increase in temperature over the past 109 years. Because warmer air holds more moisture, extreme flooding is expected to continue into the future as well. The record-breaking rainfall that occurred recently has also spurred the country to take major steps to prepare for further effects of climate change.

Associating the cause of the heavy rainfall with climate change, Woo Jin-kyu, a forecast analyst at the Korea Meteorological Administration, said in a weather press briefing on August 11, 2022, that it was not certain that the heavy rain was a direct consequence of global warming. However, he argued that the climate crisis may have some impact because the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere and the sea levels continue to increase, which significantly affects heavy rain patterns. Moreover, the Korea Meteorological Administration and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Climate Center has announced precipitation forecasts, claiming that if greenhouse gases were not cut, extreme precipitation would increase by up to 70 percent by the end of the 21st century—leading to even heavier rainfall.

Considering the concerns of the public and environmentalists, President Yoon Suk-yeol, offered a public apology for the inconveniences caused by the heavy rainfall and agreed to take immediate measures for instant recovery. In the wake of the downpour, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, along with the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), announced following emergency meetings on August 10, and August 23, 2022, that they would cooperate with the government in constructing underground rainwater storage facilities in Seoul. In addition, according to Yonhap News, President Yoon pledged to redirect Korea’s energy policy goals to better meet net-zero goals, leading South Korea to seek to expand its nuclear power generation to 33 percent of its total energy by 2030 as a response to climate change with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Future of Climate Change

In a climate update issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on May 9, 2022, the world now has a 50:50 chance of the global temperature reaching 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level within the next five years. The climate crisis is currently a “now or never” situation, with Petteri Taalas, the Secretary General of the WMO, stating that it would only be a matter of time before the world encounters another warmest year, with the heat trapped by human-induced greenhouse gases continuing to warm the planet. This illustrates how vital it is for the world to prevent climate change from worsening and to keep the global temperature below 1.5°C because climate change is impacting the well-being of human societies and the planet as a whole.

The window within which to mitigate climate change is narrowing, and the IPCC’s latest report explicitly states that if the world wants to do something about it, the time is now. Along with the importance of decarbonizing the economy and pursuing carbon-capture technologies, governments must urgently prioritize the environment in their policy decisions. The private sector must also urgently establish net-zero commitments involving significant reductions in fossil fuel usage, improved energy-efficient technologies, and the use of alternative fuels. As described by Priyadarshi Shukla, the IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair, in the IPCC report, appropriate policies, infrastructure, and technology that enable changes in individual lifestyles could result in a 40-70 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The drastic change in the climate has raised severe concerns within the international community, with a new message emerging that the extent of future climate change depends on the collective action of individuals. Professor Jeong strongly emphasizes that it is essential for individuals to be interested in climate change and that cooperation is necessary to reduce carbon emissions. With the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) set to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on November 6, 2022, the global society is once again anticipating that global efforts will be strengthened in the confrontation with the climate crisis. As an act of biting the bullet, the world has to effectively implement climate solutions that will make 2022 a pivotal year in saving the planet—because again, time is running out.