The Twin Imperatives

Climate Change and Sustainability

Humanity and our global ecosystems face significant challenges today

Drought, floods, access to clean air and water, food security, habitat loss, poverty, just to name a few

Climate change and unsustainable development will exacerbate the challenges we face

If we are to deal effectively with current and future crises,

address climate change and sustainability simultaneously and in a positively reinforcing manner

Twin Imperatives

There is a clear and obvious need to deal with climate change and its adverse effects

At the same time and with the same level of urgency, we have to improve sustainability across the planet

to improve the lives of the poorest
to protect habitat
to maintain the ecosystem services that we rely on

This is why we call climate change and sustainability the twin imperatives

Climate change impacts our efforts to improve the sustainability of our ecosystems, society and economy

It presents a substantial risk of overwhelming our attempts to improve sustainability

especially if we approach each problem separately, without reference to the other

Some systems exacerbate emissions growth, like

electricity expansion using fossil fuels
increasing agricultural land by clearing primary forest
cooking and water boiling energy provided by forest-sourced or fossil fuels

We need to improve these systems’ sustainability as they are substantial contributors to the dramatically shortening time we have left to act before even more severe impacts are locked in

Avoid Perverse Outcomes

Ignoring the interplay of the twin imperatives increases the risk of generating a perverse outcome which works against us

It would be a perverse outcome if we address climate change in a way that ignores the impacts on sustainability, like

installing large scale renewable energy (hydro, wind, solar) in such a way that causes the wanton destruction of habitat, culture, heritage
displacing people from their traditional lands in order to “protect” the carbon in forests
extracting minerals and manufacturing technology used in the “renewable energy revolution” in a way that pollutes, destroys habitat or relies on exploitation of child or slave labour

It is equally perverse to improve an aspect of sustainability in such a way that it exacerbates the climate crisis, like

increasing access and supply of electricity by installing large scale fossil fuel generators
gaining food security by expansion of agriculture into primary forest

What we need is for our actions to act positively on the twin imperatives simultaneously and in a reinforcing way, utilising the Effect Multiplier concept

Carbon Offsets and the Twin Imperatives

Carbon offsets can be created by projects that address both aspects of the twin imperatives

Sustainability outcomes beyond the carbon are highlighted for all of the offsets that Beyond Neutral sells

Renewable energy projects typically create employment, improve local infrastructure, decrease air pollution
Cookstove and Safe Water projects improve indoor air quality, reduce health problems, decrease forest degradation
REDD+ projects are the epitome of addressing the interaction between achieving sustainability outcomes and reducing emissions – without the sustainability improvements, the forest would continue to be lost