INVESTMENT THEMES
The Planet
East Head Impact grants approved to date total £1,000,000
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OVERVIEW
The Planet
Globally, the average temperature has been increasing rapidly since the late 19th century.
The past decade was the warmest on record, and sea levels have risen around 8-9 inches since 1880, with a third of that occurring in just the last 24 years.
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In 2020, global C02 concentrations reached the highest in the atmosphere in at least 800,000 years.
The frequency of severe and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, heatwaves, floods and wildfires have increased exponentially, and the Arctic sea ice is declining at a rate of 13% per decade.
Climate change is a major driver of biodiversity loss, leading to drastic shifts in ecosystems and more worryingly, species extinction.
We are reaching some worrying tipping points; if the Greenland ice sheet melts beyond a critical threshold, it could lead to an irreversible loss, contributing up to 7 meters of sea level expansion over time.
In the Amazon rainforest, a loss of 20-25% of the forest could trigger a tipping point, leading to a large release of carbon dioxide and accelerating global warming. For our coral reefs, a temperature rise of 1.5-2°C could lead to the loss of 70-90% of reefs, leading to a tipping point of near-total loss of marine biodiversity and coastal protection. Once a tipping point is crossed, the changes are often irreversible on human timescales. Preventing these points from being reached is crucial to maintaining the stability of the Earth’s climate system.
Supporting climate change causes is essential for creating a sustainable future. Charities play a vital role in driving policy changes, and funding projects that mitigate climate impacts. By addressing climate change, we can protect the planet, and ensure global stability for future generations.
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Referenced Sources:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Climate Change and Global Warming
Nature Climate Change Journal
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) State of the Global Climate
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Studies on Climate Tipping Points