Daily Times

Speakers at a conference in connection with the World Environment Day, warned that time was running out as nature was in emergency mode to keep global warming below 1.5c in this century.

“We must have to halve greenhouse gases emissions by 2030, without action, exposure to air pollution beyond safety guidelines will increase by 50pc within the decade and plastic waste flowing into aquatic ecosystems will nearly triple by 2040,” they said. Speaking as a keynote speaker at a round table conference “ Climate Change “here today in connection with world environmental day, Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman Meher Kashif Younis said world environment day is celebrated every year since 1972 has created a platform to raise an awareness that world is facing the serious problems such as air and plastic pollution, global warming and sea level is increasing day by day.

The event was organised under the aegis of college of Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES) Punjab University and Model Steel group of companies in Lahore, according to a press release here on Tuesday.

He said in the universe, there are billions of galaxies, and in our galaxies, there are billions of planets, but there is “ Only one earth “ let’s take care of it. He said earth faces a triple planetary emergency that climate is heating up too quickly for people and nature to adapt, habitat loss and other pressures mean an estimated 1m species are threatened with extinction and pollution continues to pass on our air, land and water.

Principal CEES Prof Dr Sajid Rashid Ahmad Gujjar while concluding the first session of the conference said “ We need urgent actions to address these pressing issues making “The only one Earth” and it faces on living sustainability with nature as pertinent as ever.

He said, “we are using equivalent of 1.6 Earth to maintain our current way of life and ecosystems can’t keep up with our demands. He said our lifestyles are associated with two thirds of all greenhouse gas emissions and study of CEES shows that sustainable lifestyle and behaviour could reduce our emissions by 40 to 70pc by 2050”.

He said sustainable consumption and production can drive economic development, mitigate climate change, positivity impact on health and pollution and help alleviate abject poverty in potentially increasing incomes by an average of 11pc in low- and medium-income countries by 2060 and 4pc in higher income countries.