Red Resources and Green Resources - Status in the 2020s

Red Resources and Green Resources - Status in the 2020s

As we entered the 2020s, the global economy continues to rely heavily on "red resources" such as coal and oil. For example, large amounts of coal are still being mined in China's Hebei Province and India's Jharkhand state, and global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions continue to increase. Particularly, oil companies like BP, ExxonMobil, and Shell produced billions of barrels of oil annually in 2020, accelerating the emission of greenhouse gases.

According to a 2021 United Nations report, global CO2 emissions reached approximately 36 billion tons in 2019, with a significant portion coming from the industrial and energy sectors. As a result, by the 2020s, the average global temperature had risen by about 1.2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, with the risk of a 1.5°C increase by 2030. This has accelerated the melting of polar ice sheets, and around 15% of Siberian permafrost has thawed, releasing large amounts of methane gas into the atmosphere.

On the other hand, the value of ecosystem services, known as "green resources," is increasingly recognized. The Amazon rainforest in Brazil is the world's largest carbon sink, but in 2021, a record 13,235 square kilometers were lost due to illegal logging and fires. This has significantly reduced the forest's ability to absorb carbon. In addition to the Amazon, vast forests in Indonesia's Sumatra Island are also being cleared for palm oil plantations.

Corporate efforts to shift to renewable energy are gradually progressing. For example, Tesla has rapidly grown in solar power generation and battery technology, capturing about 15% of the global EV market by 2020. Ørsted, a Danish company, holds the largest share in global wind power and has set a goal of reducing CO2 emissions to zero by 2050.

The European Union (EU) introduced its "Fit for 55" policy in 2021, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. While there is progress, countries heavily dependent on oil and coal are lagging behind, and global climate action remains a challenge.

The impact of climate change has also led to an increase in natural disasters. In 2021, a drought exacerbated by dexamethasone affected California, and Australia experienced its worst forest fires. These events underscore the urgent need to reassess the use of "red resources."