The UK may need to drastically reduce its working hours to avoid a climate disaster, a study has concluded. The study, conducted by thinktank Autonomy, found that workers in the UK, Sweden and Germany may all need to reduce their work to less than ten hours a week per person to limit global heating just to around 2C, given current productivity levels. The study, based on UN and OECD data on carbon productivity per industry sector in the three countries, also found that reducing working hours would not be enough to tackle the climate crisis by itself, as it concluded that a drastic economic shift will also be needed. ‘Working time reduction as an isolated policy by itself will likely be insufficient to combat climate change,’ the study says. ‘Rather, it needs to be supplemented by other policies facilitating radical economic transformation, for instance to shift jobs from sectors such as manufacturing and fossil fuel extraction towards employment in service professions and green jobs (e.g. reforestation operations).’ The paper assumes an ‘absolute’ decrease in working time by those currently working, with jobs not being offered to the unemployed or extra hours being offered to the underemployed. However, it does […]
Latest Articles
Oil has Long Been Used as a Geopolitical Weapon. Could Electrified Transport Change That?
Takeaways: One crucial step to reducing carbon emissions is by moving the transportation system from fossil fuel to electricity.
Electricity is a major commodity...
Two Students Made Compostable Water Filters From Food Waste
Takeaway: Two students from Pratt Institute have created Strøm, a compostable water filters made from food waste.
The filters use activated charcoal which are...
A $1.1 Billion Gift Launches Stanford Sustainability School
Takeaways: Stanford University has announced a $1.1 billion donation to a new school designed to accelerate interdisciplinary scholarship on climate and sustainability issues.
The...
Protecting Nature’s Rights in the Court Room
Takeaways: A lawsuit has been filed against the developers planning to build on Lake Mary Jane in Orange County, to stop construction on the...
The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for May 16, 2022
The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for May 16, 2022 Thanks for reading the Top 5 Happy Eco News! This week we have two guest...
A New Electric Microcar Could Redefine Urban Mobility. By Folding?
Takeaways: The City Transformer can shrink down from 98 inches long to 39 inches in tight spots.
This car promises to reshape urban mobility...