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The Science of Climate Change

Climate change is no longer a distant threat or just a possibility, it is now a reality for all of us. In this pathway, Kevin Trenberth, a renowned climatologist, delves into the science behind climate change. He first introduces the climate system, its main components and forces.

Tackling the Plastic Crisis

Plastic pollution is by far the biggest threat to our oceans and this remains an incredibly tough problem to solve. Plastic credits could potentially serve as one of the much needed solutions for this crisis.

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The Scale of the Net Zero Challenge

The price of meeting net zero is estimated to be between $100-150 trillion over the next 30 years. Regardless of this cost, we need to reach net zero before climate change does irreversible damage to the environment and the economy.

ESG, Sustainability and Impact Jargon Buster

ESG, sustainability, impact… they all just mean green, right? Not quite. Despite being used often interchangeably, there are distinct differences between these terms.

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Featured Pathways

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The Science of Climate Change

Climate change is no longer a distant threat or just a possibility, it is now a reality for all of us. In this pathway, Kevin Trenberth, a renowned climatologist, delves into the science behind climate change. He first introduces the climate system, its main components and forces.

Tackling the Plastic Crisis

Plastic pollution is by far the biggest threat to our oceans and this remains an incredibly tough problem to solve. Plastic credits could potentially serve as one of the much needed solutions for this crisis.

More pathways

Book a demo

Pricing

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Plans & Membership

Our Platform

Expert led content

+1,000 expert presented, on-demand video modules

Learning analytics

Keep track of learning progress with our comprehensive data

Interactive learning

Engage with our video hotspots and knowledge check-ins

Testing & certification

Gain CPD / CPE credits and professional certification

Managed learning

Build, scale and manage your organisation’s learning

Integrations

Connect Sustainability Unlocked to your current platform

Featured Content

More featured content

The Scale of the Net Zero Challenge

The price of meeting net zero is estimated to be between $100-150 trillion over the next 30 years. Regardless of this cost, we need to reach net zero before climate change does irreversible damage to the environment and the economy.

ESG, Sustainability and Impact Jargon Buster

ESG, sustainability, impact… they all just mean green, right? Not quite. Despite being used often interchangeably, there are distinct differences between these terms.

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Book a demo

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Plastics and the Circular Economy

Plastics and the Circular Economy

Vincent Kneefel

15 years: Ocean conservationist

Plastic is great for packing your lunch and paying for products. It’s not so great for marine life. In fact, 11 million tons of plastic ends up in our ocean with 100,000 marine mammals dying annually as a result. How did we get here? Join Vincent Kneefel as he explores why plastics are harmful and how we can reduce the amount in circulation.

Plastic is great for packing your lunch and paying for products. It’s not so great for marine life. In fact, 11 million tons of plastic ends up in our ocean with 100,000 marine mammals dying annually as a result. How did we get here? Join Vincent Kneefel as he explores why plastics are harmful and how we can reduce the amount in circulation.

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Plastics and the Circular Economy

14 mins 1 sec

Overview

A third of plastic ends up in nature. 11 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean every year and that number is set to triple by 2040. Plastic has been a dominant material, which has increased in demand since the early 20th century due to its resilience and durability. Yet, 75% of all the plastic ever produced is now waste. Only 9% of the global plastic package is collected for recycling and just 2% is reused as packaging. Vincent encourages firms to use existing solutions and technologies alongside concerted actions to ‘break the plastic wave’.

Key learning objectives:

  • Understand why plastics are harmful

  • Learn the negative impacts of plastic

  • Identify 3 steps to prevent plastic leakage

  • Define the circular economy

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Summary

How is plastic impacting the ocean? 

  • Biodiversity loss: More than 100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of plastic pollution. According to Oceana, at least 1,800 species are affected by marine debris, from tiny zooplankton, to fish, birds and the largest whales to be harmed through entanglement in or ingestion of plastic

  • Climate change: Based on current projections, the production and incineration of plastics will account for 10-13% of the global annual carbon budget

  • Human health: Microplastics are contaminating the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Research by Newcastle University has shown that we are ingesting an average of 5 grams of plastic every week, the equivalent of a credit card, coming from "microplastics"

  • Tourism: According to WWF an estimated $622 million is lost every year in the Asia-Pacific region alone due to waste and clean-up costs, affecting the livelihoods of communities reliant on tourism

What is the circular economy?

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has coined the term Circular Economy: a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended. In practice, it implies reducing waste to a minimum. The circular economy is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature.

How can the leakage of plastic into the ocean be prevented? 

  • Reduce the amount of new plastic produced
  • Increase the reuse and recycling of plastic already in circulation
  • Eliminate leakage of plastic into nature 

What will happen if world leaders stay on a ‘business as usual’ path with plastics? 

Delaying the actions outlined in Breaking the Plastic Wave by five years would add 80 million metric tons of plastic waste to the 248 million metric tons projected to enter the ocean from 2016 to 2040, compounding risks for local communities and investors. 

 

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Vincent Kneefel

Vincent Kneefel

Vincent Kneefel is an underwater photographer, ocean conservationist and circular economy expert. He has worked for organizations such as WWF, United Nations and Accenture on strategic sustainability and ocean conservation initiatives. His photographs show some of the most iconic and endangered creatures of our ocean.

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