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SDG13 – Climate Action

New Vocabulary

  • catastrophe
  • CO2
  • code red
  • emission
  • global warming
  • greenhouse effect
  • greenhouse gas
  • humanity
  • intensity
  • record-breaking
  • tipping point
  • warning
  • wildfire

Practice the new vocabulary

Climate Action Vocabulary (text version)

Match the words to their definitions.

Words:

  • Wildfire
  • Emission
  • Catastrophe
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Tipping Point
  • Greenhouse Gas
  • CO2
  • Humanity
  • Code Red
  • Global warming
  • Intense
  • Record-breaking
  • Warning

Definitions:

  1. A terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction, suffering and death
  2. Carbon dioxide, a clear gas that is produced when animals breathe out, when carbon is burned in the air or when animal or vegetable substances decay
  3. A way of saying that there is a serious emergency
  4. A gas or other substance that is sent into the air
  5. A general increase in world temperatures caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide (C02) around the earth
  6. The gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat being trapped by pollution, resulting in global warming
  7. A gas, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane, that is thought to trap heat above the earth and cause the greenhouse effect
  8. People in general
  9. Having a very strong effect or felt very strongly
  10. The highest, lowest, biggest, best, etc. of its type that has ever happened or existed
  11. The point at which the number of small changes over a period of time reaches a level where a further small change has a sudden and very great effect on a system
  12. Something, especially a statement, that tells you that something bad, dangerous or annoying might happen so you can be ready or avoid it
  13. A fire that moves quickly and cannot be controlled

Check your answer in footnote[1]

Activity source: Climate Action Vocabulary by Virginia McHardy, CC BY-NC 4.0

Activity source: Climate Action Word find by Donna Naylor, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Climate Action

 

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (n.d.) Goal 13 Infographic:
As far as climate action goes, our world is at a tipping point. This means that our world is on the edge of a climate catastrophe, and our chances to avoid this are decreasing rapidly. This infographic is a warning that this is a code red emergency and humanity must act now to stop this from happening.

Temperature rise in the world will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2035 and temperatures could warm by 2.5 degrees Celsius by 2100. With a 1.5 degree temperature increase, 70-90% of our underwater coral reef life will die, and with a warming of just 2 degrees, our coral reefs will die off completely! To stop this, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and get to net zero by 2050.

The rate that the sea level has risen has doubled in the last decade, and without immediate action, it will continue to rise, resulting in increased flooding. Conversely, we will experience more heatwaves and droughts and experience more natural disasters around the world, such as wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

Climate financing is well below the level that is needed and developing countries need almost 6 trillion dollars by 2030 to address issues.

Canadian Perspective

Goal 13, Climate Action (text version)

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2021

In 2021, Canada emitted 670 Mt CO2 eq[2]. Between 2005-2021, greenhouse gas emissions decreased 8.4%. Greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector are the following: transportation (22%), oil & gas (28%), waste & others[3] (7%), buildings (13%), electricity (8%), heavy industry (12%), and agriculture (10%).

GHG emissions by province and territory in 2021.
Table 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1. The information is grouped by Province/Territory (appearing as row headers), GHG Emissions (Mt CO2 eq.) (appearing as column headers).
Province/Territory GHG Emissions (Mt CO2 eq.)
Newfoundland and Labrador 8.3
Prince Edward Island 1.6
Nova Scotia 14.6
New Brunswick 11.9
Quebec 77.5
Ontario 150.6
Manitoba 20.7
Saskatchewan 67.1
Alberta 256.1
British Columbia 59.4
Yukon 0.7
Northwest Territories 1.3
Nunavut 0.6
Climate Change Adaptation

In 2020, almost 60% of government organizations factored climate change adaptation into their decision-making process related to at least one core public infrastructure. This is up from 51% in 2018.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Per Capita

Between 2005-2021, greenhouse gas emissions per capita decreased 23% in Canada. In 2005, Canada emitted 22.7 t CO2 eq/capita and in 2021, Canada emitted 17.5 t CO2 eq/capita.

Community Spotlight: Farmers for Climate Solutions

Farmers for Climate Solutions is a national, farmer-led coalition that advances policies and programs to support Canadian farmers to reduce emissions and build resilience in the face of climate change.

Farm Resilience Mentorship Program (FaRM): gives farmers the tools they need to adopt Advanced Nitrogen Management, Cover Cropping, and Advanced Grazing Systems. FaRM has currently trained over 6,715 farmers across 5.5 million acres. These practices have an emissions reduction potential of 5 Mt CO2 by 2030.

Sources: Environment and Climate change Canada, Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators, Greenhouse gas emissions indicators. Statistics Canada, Canada’s Core Public Infrastructure Survey, 2020. Farmers for Climate Solutions, 2023.

Source: Goal 13, Climate Action In Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2022 by Statistics Canada, used under Open License

 

Discussion Questions

Use the new vocabulary words in these discussion questions. Ask and answer in partners or small groups:

  1. Global warming is a big concern these days. Have you experienced record-breaking temperatures in your home country? If so, explain what this was like. If not, what do you think some of the bad effects would be?
  2. Have you or someone you know ever experienced a catastrophe due to extreme weather conditions?
    If so, what was it like?
    If not, have you ever experienced a warning for extreme weather? What did you do in response to the warning?
  3. Greenhouse gas, especially CO2 (carbon dioxide) is responsible for much of the greenhouse effect we are feeling in the world. What can humanity do to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions we produce in our daily lives?
  4. Have you ever been at the tipping point for stress or anger? Describe the intensity of your feelings. What did you do about it?

Watch the video:

Watch Goal 13 – Climate action (1 mins) on YouTube

Video source: UNStats. (2022, July 7). Goal 13 – Climate action [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2UpV5jvu7E

Climate Action Video quiz (text version)
  1. What increased the number of wildfires in 2021?
    1. People not putting out their cigarettes properly.
    2. How hot the weather was.
    3. Campers not extinguishing their campfires before going to bed.
    4. Breaking temperature thermometers.
  2. What are some of the warnings that a climate catastrophe is coming soon?
    1. High winds and Lots of snow.
    2. A radio announcement.
    3. Several natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.
    4. A siren.
  3. True or false? The higher the global temperature, the worse weather occurs.
  4. True or false? Because developed countries contributed close to $80 billion in 2019, that was enough for the annual promise for climate issues.

Check your answers in footnote[4]

Activity source: Climate Action Video quiz by Virginia McHardy, CC BY-NC 4.0

What Can We Do in Our Day-to-Day Lives?

Every one of us can do something to have a positive impact on this goal. Here are some suggestions:

Leave the car at home:

  • Bike, walk or take public transport. Save the car trips for when you’ve got a big group or a long way to go.
  • Carpool if you can.

Reduce, reuse and recycle. It takes energy to process garbage, and landfills destroy good land.

  • Recycling paper, plastic, glass and aluminum keeps landfills from growing.
  • Shop vintage. Brand-new isn’t necessarily best.
  • See what you can repurpose or upcycle from second-hand shops that sell household goods and furniture.
  • Buy clothes from thrift and consignment shops; you can find some very high quality clothes and very low prices.
  • Donate clothes you don’t use instead of throwing them out to keep this cycle going.
  • Use a refillable water bottle and coffee cup. This cuts down on waste and can save you money too.
  • Bring your own bag when you shop. Pass on the plastic bag and start carrying your own reusable bags.
  • See if your town or city has a ‘freecycle’ group. This is very similar to Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace, but all of the posted items are free. What you don’t need anymore could be just what someone else is looking for – and vice versa!

Repair, don’t replace:

  • Can it be fixed? We live in a ‘throw away’ society, and many items today are not built to last. Do some research into how long particular brands last, and invest in higher quality, better built products when you can.
  • Can it be fixed? Try repairing items (or having them repaired) before throwing them away. If you’re not sure how to fix something, search the Internet for ‘how to’ videos or see if there is a book in your local library. This can save you lots of money, help you develop new skills, and most importantly, it can help to keep things out of our landfills.

Go digital:

  • Stop paper bank statements and pay your bills online or via mobile.
  • Use a digital reader for reading books to reduce the number of trees used to produce books.

Use your library:

  • Prefer real books over digital? No problem. Use your local library instead of buying new books. This helps to reduce the number of trees used to produce books, and also keeps libraries open, allowing them to offer other important supports and programs in your community.

Let your money do your talking.

As consumers, we have more power than we think. If enough of us only buy from companies that are helping us move toward the sustainable development goals, companies who don’t will get the message. 

  • Buy minimally packaged goods.
  • Do a bit of online research and buy only from companies that you know have sustainable practices and don’t harm the environment.

Take action in the kitchen:

  • Eat less meat, poultry, and fish. It takes more resources to grow and process animals for food than it takes to grow and process crops.
  • Compost—composting food scraps can reduce climate impact while also recycling nutrients.

Make your comfort climate-friendly:

  • Put on a sweater. You want the temperature in your home to be comfortable, but keeping it warm enough to walk around in a T-shirt in winter is using energy that you don’t need to use. Putting on a sweater, socks, or slippers can keep you just as warm, and you can turn that thermostat down, saving money as well as the environment.
  • Plug air leaks in windows and doors. This will not only make your home more comfortable because there will be fewer drafts, but you will also use less heat and air conditioning to keep your home at a comfortable temperature.
  • Increase energy efficiency by adjusting your thermostat: lower in winter, higher in summer.
  • Consider investing in a programmable thermostat or one connected to an app on your phone. In this way, you can ensure that your thermostat is turned down when you’re not at home or when you’re sleeping, but ready to warm up on your return or waking.

Shop local:

  • Supporting neighbourhood businesses keeps people employed and helps prevent trucks from driving far distances.

Plant a tree (or a bush or a shrub or….):

  • Trees play a huge part in helping to control climate change. They provide oxygen for us to breathe. They provide windbreaks in the winter and shade to keep our homes and communities cool in the summer.

Get the boss on board:

  • Talk to the leaders in your workplace to make sure your company uses energy efficient heating and cooling technology, that there is a recycling program, that products and services purchased are environmentally friendly products and use sustainable practices.
  • Organize a No Impact Week at work. Learn to live more sustainably for at least a week: See the Be The Change website for more details.

Find a Goal 13 charity you want to support. Any donation, big or small, can make a difference! 

Key Targets for SDG 13

13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

#ActNow Fashion Challenge graphic. Image  © UN.org Sustainable Development Goals, used under Fair Dealing.

Assignment/Homework:

Go to the United Nations’ website ActNow for Zero-Waste Fashion

Do the Fashion Challenge and share your actions on social media and log on Act Now.

 

You can read more about Goal #13 in The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 from the UN.:

For instructors, please visit York University’s The SDGs-in-the-Classroom Toolkit for lesson ideas

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this page is created by Virginia McHardy, CC BY-NC 4.0

References

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). Goal 13 [Infographic]. Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal13

  1. 1. Catastrophe, 2. CO2, 3. Code Red, 4. Emission, 5. Global warming, 6. Greenhouse Effect, 7. Greenhouse Gas, 8. Humanity, 9. Intense, 10. Record-breaking, 11. Tipping Point, 12. Warning, 13. Wildfire ↵
  2. Megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq) is used to compare the emissions of various greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.) on the basis of their global-warming potential, by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same warming potential. Totals for Canada's GHG emissions by economic sector may not add up due to rounding. ↵
  3. Waste and others includes solid waste, wastewater, waste incineration, coal production, light manufacturing, construction, and forest resources. ↵
  4. 1. b, 2. c, 3. True, 4. False. ↵

License

DRAFT: SDGs for EAP Learners Copyright © by Donna Naylor and Virginia McHardy. All Rights Reserved.

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