Climate change and environmental degradation are among the most critical challenges facing the world today. The year 2024 stood as a stark reminder of the pressing and escalating environmental and climate crises. From record-breaking temperatures to intensified natural disasters, the year’s events underscored the urgency of global action.
By participating in this conversation, we hope to contribute to raising awareness about the accelerating impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and deforestation. This blog post captures the key environmental and climate-related developments of 2024, supported by data, illustrations, and sourced information.
At Runbox, we believe in a world where our digital communications can have a positive impact on the environment. Our mission is to reduce energy consumption and minimize our ecological footprint, both as an organization and as individuals. We believe that every action, including sending an email, should contribute to a sustainable future. By choosing Runbox, you’re not just using a secure email service – you’re making a conscious choice to support sustainable practices and contribute to the protection of the planet.
In an age where digital communication is essential, the tools we use to connect can significantly impact our mission and reach. We are committed to fostering a sustainable future, and support those who work tirelessly to protect our planet. As part of this mission we offer free email services to environmental organizations.
Who We Are
Runbox is an environmentally conscious email service provider that prioritizes privacy, security, and sustainability. Based in Norway, Runbox operates on renewable energy and aims to minimize our carbon footprint. Our services are designed to be user-friendly while offering advanced features that cater to both individual users and organizations.
Supporting Environmental Organizations
This program is part of our broader commitment to fostering a sustainable future and supporting those who work tirelessly to protect our planet. It reflects our dedication to supporting causes that align with our values. Effective communication can lead to increased awareness, greater community engagement, and stronger advocacy efforts. This support helps create a network of informed and active citizens dedicated to environmental causes.
The year 2023 was marked by significant environmental and climate-related events that underscored the urgent need for collective global action. From escalating greenhouse gas emissions to unprecedented weather extremes, the planet experienced alarming signs of environmental degradation and climate disruption. This blog delves into the most pressing issues of 2023, accompanied by illustrations and sourced data to shed light on the state of our environment.
Rising Carbon Emissions
Despite global efforts to curb carbon emissions, 2023 saw a continued increase in atmospheric CO₂ levels. According to the Mauna Loa Observatory, CO₂ concentrations peaked at 424 parts per million (ppm) during the year, a stark reminder of the relentless upward trajectory.
Key Contributors:
Energy Sector: Fossil fuels continued to dominate global energy production, with coal consumption hitting record highs in some regions.
Deforestation: Large-scale deforestation in the Amazon and Southeast Asia contributed significantly to carbon emissions.
Industrial Activities: Rapid industrialization in emerging economies exacerbated emissions, outpacing efforts to transition to cleaner technologies.
2023 was a year of extreme weather events that affected millions of lives and ecosystems:
Heatwaves: Record-breaking heatwaves scorched parts of Europe, the United States, and Asia. Southern Europe saw temperatures surpassing 48°C, severely impacting agriculture and water resources.
Flooding: Catastrophic flooding displaced millions in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Italy, with damages running into billions of dollars.
Wildfires: Uncontrollable wildfires ravaged forests in Canada and Greece, releasing massive amounts of carbon and destroying biodiversity hotspots.
Biodiversity loss reached critical levels in 2023, with numerous species teetering on the brink of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported that:
28% of species assessed were threatened with extinction.
Coral reefs, which host 25% of marine species, suffered extensive bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures.
Melting Ice and Rising Seas
The Arctic and Antarctic regions continued to lose ice at alarming rates in 2023. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported:
The Greenland ice sheet lost an estimated 400 gigatons of ice, contributing significantly to global sea level rise.
Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest extent in recorded history during the winter months.
Plastic pollution remained a critical issue, with over 8 million tons of plastic waste entering the oceans annually. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch expanded further, threatening marine life and ecosystems.
Efforts to Combat Plastic Waste:
Legislative Actions: Countries like Canada and the EU implemented bans on single-use plastics.
Innovative Solutions: Startups and NGOs developed ocean-cleaning technologies and biodegradable alternatives.
The environmental and climate challenges of 2023 serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of our planet. While progress was made in renewable energy and policy initiatives, the pace of degradation continues to outstrip solutions. Addressing these challenges demands an unprecedented level of global cooperation, innovation, and commitment from all sectors of society.
What can you do? Educate yourself, advocate for sustainable policies, and make environmentally conscious choices in your daily life. The fight for our planet’s future requires all hands on deck.
2020 was a very challenging year for many people around the world, and especially as a consequence of the ongoing global health situation. As we begin a new year we think about all those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same time it is important that we don’t forget about other global challenges, and as Runbox celebrated 20 years in 2020 we naturally considered the current state of the environment compared to the year 2000.
Since the year Runbox was founded, global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have increased over 40% from approximately 23 to 33 gigatons as illustrated by the figure below.
There was a significant increase in emissions over the past year, and despite the pandemic-related drop during 2020 world liquid fuels production and consumption is forecast to continue nearly unabated in 2021 and beyond.
Source: US EIA (https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/)
It is clear that the global environmental crises in all likelihood remain the most essential and existential challenges facing mankind, and that 2020 only represents a temporary interruption.
As explained in a previous blog post, Runbox works continuously to decrease CO2 emissions from our operations and act in an environmentally responsible manner.
We recently implemented an environmental policy to this end, which lays out our commitments to reducing, reusing, and recycling our resources.
In our policy we also pledge to doubly offset any CO2 emissions that do result from our operations despite our email service being entirely hydropowered.
We are proud to announce that we are now supporting World Land Trust in order to plant trees sufficient to compensate doubly for the emissions that result from our business.
The World Land Trust certificate for carbon dioxide emissions 2019
World Land Trust is an environmental non-profit organization working to ensure conservation of plants, animals and local communities in areas at environmental risk.
We chose World Land Trust after having researched a number of organizations offering similar services, and found World Land Trust to be the most professional and reputable candidate.
We encourage other companies to offset their own emissions in order to help achieve the goal of carbon neutrality.
