Lesson 2 - Environmental Sustainability
In this lesson we will discuss key ways to understand and improve the sustainability of brewery operations. This will include understanding the global context for sustainability, the key environmental sustainability impacts of producing beer and opportunities for improving the sustainability of beer and brewing operations.
Impacts of Climate Change
Climate change is already affecting every country on every continent.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018 report estimated that human activities have likely caused global warming of between 0.8 °C to 1.2 °C above pre-industrial levels. However, this overall change is not evenly distributed. The video below shows the changes in recorded surface temperature since 1884.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change. This included its implications and potential future risks, as well as to suggest adaptation and mitigation options.
The video (link below) shows how the earth’s surface temperature has changed since 1884:
https://climate.nasa.gov/interactives/climate-time-machine
These changes in global temperatures are leading to changing weather patterns, rising sea levels and weather events becoming more extreme. The impacts of climate change are not universally distributed, with the poorest and most vulnerable countries and their populations being the most affected.
The following image outlines some of the predicted impacts (or reasons for concern) under different scenarios of global warming.
Figure: Impacts and/or risks associated with effects of global temperature change
These changes are already creating great challenges for humanity. Without action, global temperatures are set to continue to rise and are likely to surpass 3°C this century.
Find out more about the predicted impacts of climate change here: