booklet 6 - mitigation

• what is mitigation?


  actions strategies, measures or projects undertaken to offset known detrimental impacts of a process
• how can humans mitigate against climate change?

  - carbon captures + sequestration

  - changing rural land use

  - modifying deforestation

  - carbon offsetting

  - improved transport practices

  - global governance
• what is carbon capture + sequestration?

  process removing carbon from fuel combustion emissions or other sources + storing it to prevent release into atmosphere
• howeffective is carbon capture + sequestration

  Can store CO₂ underground in geological formations or use it in products

  
  

  Can significantly reduce emissions from fossil fuel-dependent industries - cement industry
• practicality of carbon capture + sequestration

  Expensive technology with high energy demands.

  
  

  Requires suitable geological sites for storage.

  
  

  Currently not widely utilised, making global impact limited.
• Changing Rural Land Use - Plantations & Carbon Farming

  planting of trees to sequester co2 and remove from atmosphere
• how effective is changing rural land use?

  Afforestation increases carbon sequestration

  
  

  Carbon farming (e.g. soil carbon storage) improves soil health and stores more carbon in soil.

  
  

  Can restore degraded land and increase biodiversity
• practicality of changing rural land use

  Competes with food production if land is converted for tree plantations.

  
  

  Long-term strategy—trees take decades to sequester significant CO₂.

  
  

  Needs policy support and incentives for farmers.
• Modifying Deforestation


  Involves strategies to reduce forest loss, promote sustainable logging, and restore degraded forests
• effectiveness of modifying deforestation

  Prevents carbon release from forest loss—forests store vast amounts of CO₂.

  
  

  Protects ecosystem services.

  
  

  Reforestation enhances carbon sequestration.
• Practicality of modifying deforestation

  Driven by economic pressures e.g agriculture, logging

  
  

  Requires strong governance and incentives for sustainable land use.

  
  

  Illegal deforestation is difficult to monitor and control.
• carbon offsetting


  carrying out projects to reduce carbon emissions, to balance out the production of greenhouse gases
• effectiveness of carbon offsetting

  Encourages businesses and individuals to invest in emission reductions elsewhere - funding reforestation, renewable energy projects

  
  

  Can help compensate for unavoidable emissions - aviation, industry
• practicality of carbon offsetting

  some projects may be ineffective or difficult to verify tree planting schemes that don't last

  
  

  Does not eliminate emissions at the source - only compensates for them.

  
  

  Risk of greenwashing
• improved transport practices


  making moves towards better more effective and sustainable transport options
• effectiveness of improved transport practices

  Electric vehicles reduce fossil fuel dependence and can be zero-emission if powered by renewable energy.

  
  

  Aviation produces high CO₂, but improvements in fuel efficiency, sustainable aviation fuels and route optimisation can cut emissions.
• practicality of improved transport practices

  EV adoption depends on infrastructure - charging stations and renewable power sources

  
  

  Battery production has high environmental costs - mining lithium

  
  

  Aviation is difficult to decarbonise due to high energy needs
• global governance and IPCC - intergovernmental panel on climate change

  help to set targets and policies/ laws for reducing carbon

  
  

  has wide influence due to power and size
• effectiveness of global governance

  Provides scientific guidance for global climate action.

  
  

  Influences policy - Paris Agreement, carbon pricing, emission reduction targets

  
  

  Encourages international cooperation - vital for emissions reduction.
• practicality of global governance

  Implementation varies by country—some nations ignore agreements or fail to meet targets.

  
  

  Developing vs. developed country conflicts over responsibility and funding.

  
  

  Political and economic interests = slow progress.