TakingITGlobal

www.decarbonize.me Energy Energy powers our economic and social development. Unfortunately, the types of energy resources predominantly used around the world, such as coal and gasoline, release massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, corrupting our air and acidifying our oceans. We must act to ensure our energy sources and practices are sustainable. We propose the following policy opportunities: • implement national policies with realistic, attainable priorities focused on moving to- wards renewable power generation. • increase global access to renewable energy resources and energy efficient technologies. Complex policy-making and the introduction of market-based incentives by government is necessary to help shape larger conversations around renewable energy. We suggest that governments implement a price on carbon to greatly reduce the global carbon footprint, in line with the Paris agreement's objective to limit global average temperature rise. Gov- ernments could then harness these funds to incentivize the use of renewable energy resources, such as through subsidies or tax relief for renewable and alternative energies. is would allow more people to access and use sustainable technologies in their everyday lives. Across the globe, nations have expressed interest in accessing alternative technologies, but find cost prohibitive.We recommend partnership development and technology transfer between developed and developing countries to ensure all nations have access to climate change mitigation technologies. Much of the global population does not have easy access to renewable and energy efficient technologies. Increasing access to these technologies would not only reduce our environmental impact, but also change the way people view energy. is is important because in order for our society to adapt to the changes associated with global warming, we should diversify our energy sector. One way this can be done is by increasing the awareness consumers have of their energy consumption. is increase in awareness can lead to significant reductions in consumption, as many people are unaware of the true amount of energy they consume. Steps towards this goal have already been tak- en in Australia, Canada, the EU, Ghana, and Taiwan, where energy efficiency labeling is displayed on appliances to help consumers make energy-efficient choices. However, these standards are not universally applied. Expanding these where energy initiatives would allow the general public to change their behavior and have a lasting impact on their environmental footprint. "Enterprises' responses to climate change are a part of corporate social responsibility owed to the community in which they have flourished." Affiliate High School of Chung-Hsing University - Taichung City, Taiwan

• Cover