Carbon Emissions refer to the release of Carbon Dioxide gas into the atmosphere. CO2 is produced through the burning of carbon based fossil fuels such as the coal, fuel and oil used in most homes and power stations. Petrol, diesel and jet fuel also produce high levels of CO2.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas meaning it traps the heat from the sun in the atmosphere and warms the earth. However, the increasing levels of CO2 are the causes of the surface temperature increase related to Global Warming.
Carbon Footprint
The amount of Carbon Emissions you release into the atmosphere is known as your Carbon Footprint. The amounts of electricity and fuel used equate to your footprint. The main additions to your carbon footprint come from, how you travel on a daily basis, the amount of electrical appliances you use and the type and amount of electricity you use at to heat your home.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, calls attention to building a pan-European innovation potential ecosystem in health served with top-notch infrastructures.
Higher-income countries, such as the USA and nations of the EU, are responsible for excess resource extraction of raw materials which has led to ecological damage.
The latest UN climate report warns the lack of time the world has to reduce its global warming to the 1.5 degree limit - it’s ‘now or never’ until a global environmental breakdown.
The Commission signed €1.1 billion of grant agreements, allocated for seven low-carbon technologies which will substantially reduce emissions - within the first ten years.
Though electric cars are greener than those running on fossil fuels, they generate mass carbon emissions during production and remain predominantly inaccessible.
Marie-Elodie Perga, Associate Professor of the Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics at the University of Lausanne, discusses SNSF funded Project CARBOGEN, which studies Lake Geneva’s carbon cycle.
The NHS has pledged Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040, yet annual reports indicate the NHS are to miss this goal – adaption to necessary circular economy models is crucial.
Nikolaos P. Ventikos from the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and Angeliki Stouraiti from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) explore the environmental footprint of short sea shipping and how the EU can reduce emissions.
Professor Susan Waldron, Director of Research and Skills at the Natural Environment Research Council emphasises the importance of research and innovation in adapting to climate change.
