Abstract
Pretend you are writing this note to your Boss who is a very busy woman/man. You should provide "your boss" with a clear overview of the question as you have formulated it - what are the main debates, what are the key positions that stand in confrontation with each other and who are the actors behind those debates. You should then end the note by taking a stand (what you suggest to your boss should be his/the company's position on that question) and justifying that stand with two to three key arguments. You can justify those arguments with concrete data and/or published research and material.
Extract
[...] Their warnings did not prevent emissions from increasing. Glen Peters, a scientist at the Centre for International Climate Research in Oslo, Norway, noted the rise in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 1870 and found that almost half of this increase came from human activity over the past 30 years. However, new sustainable development technologies have since developed, with the rapid growth of solar and wind energy systems. But more than 85% of the world still depends on fossil fuels to satisfy its energy thirst. [...]
[...] Why must we absolutely act against climate change? "Pretend you are writing this note to your Boss who is a very busy woman/man. You should provide "your boss" with a clear overview of the question as you have formulated it - what are the main debates, what are the key positions that stand in confrontation with each other and who are the actors behind those debates. You should then end the note by taking a stand (what you suggest to your boss should be his/the company's position on that question) and justifying that stand with two to three key arguments. [...]
[...] The question I want to raise awareness about is: Why must we absolutely act against climate change? While it took time to justify that climate change is largely linked to pollution and human activity, the crisis has deepened. Thirty years ago, the potentially disruptive impact of carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion and aggressive deforestation made the headlines in several newspapers. It took a century of scientific evidence and a major shift in the perception of environmental issues from the public opinion for this to happen. [...]
[...] For example, losses due to natural disasters in developing countries over the past 20 years are estimated at $862 billion, equivalent to one third of all international development assistance. Ambitious measures are needed to address the current and future impacts of climate change. Action must therefore come from society as a whole and countries across the world must give a strong signal that everyone is committed to the climate, from individuals to institutions and companies. Therefore, I believe, dear Boss, that our own company should not stay back from this international crisis but should take part in this fight in any way possible. [...]
[...] After this brief historical background, I want to come back to my main interrogation and to emphasize on why we must absolutely act against harmful climate change. - First, we all know it is real and hence we should not ignore it. Clearly, climate change is already underway. It devastates lives, ecosystems and infrastructure. Climate change is causing extreme weather events (floods/droughts): the increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters forced more than 22 million people to flee their homes in 2013. [...]
