If no action is taken to reduce emissions, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could reach double its pre-industrial level as early as 2035. Addressing this issue requires leaders both from more developed and newly industrialized countries to work innovatively together.

Unique carbon cutting measures are happening locally in both India and the UK, but can those actions be accelerated and multiplied to reduce carbon emissions by 50% in the next five years?

This is the challenge that participants on the Dishaa Venture, run by leadership development organisation Common Purpose, will be tackling next week. Dishaa aims to expand, enrich and energise relations between India and the UK by investing in the development of the next generation of leaders from the two countries.

During the Venture, held in London from 29 November to 3 December, participants will meet with carbon experts including:

• Lord Nick Stern, Chair, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics (also a member of the Dishaa Advisory Group and UK-India roundtable)
• Ian Short, Chief Executive, Institute for Sustainability
• Nafees Meah, Head of Science, Climate, Energy, Science and Analysis, Department of Energy and Climate Change.

The diverse group of participants, 20 from the UK and 20 from India, are skilled and respected practitioners in their fields and looking to effect change both in their organizations and wider society. They will undertake research tasks beforehand, develop their thinking and work together to come up with innovative approaches to the challenge.

They will then present their findings and models to a cross sector group of policy experts from the UK and India. The Dishaa Venture is run in partnership with the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and sponsored by United Business Media (UBM), Tilda, Cisco, Fly Kingfisher and PwC. British Prime Minister David Cameron is patron of Dishaa and launched the Venture in July 2010.

Jennifer Duvalier, Group People & Culture Director, UBM, explains why her organization sponsors the Dishaa Venture: “UBM is a keen supporter of Dishaa, believing that individuals learn most powerfully when they have the opportunity to engage with impactful development experiences and to share their learning journey with a diverse network of fellow learners.

It has given UBM’s participants an experience to engage with talented others from India and the UK, and to contribute to building an innovative approach to accelerating and multiplying carbon cutting methods that will benefit both societies – a rich legacy.”

Founder and Chief Executive of Common Purpose Julia Middleton said: “The links between the UK and India are long standing but more importantly, they are deep, edgy, thoughtful and multi-dimensional. By learning together the participants will be able to enrich the connections between both countries and produce some very exciting ideas.”

An independent international leadership development organization

Over the past 21 years, Common Purpose has designed and delivered courses that help people at all stages of their career become more effective leaders in society.

Common Purpose runs courses that give people from the private, public and not-for-profit sector the inspiration, skills and connections to become better leaders both at work and in society. Common Purpose helps people, organisations, cities and regions to succeed, by broadening the horizons of their leaders and developing their ability to work together and lead complex change.

The article Looking to Create Innovative Ways of Cutting Carbon Emission appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Arctic sea ice levels are recording at a record low, after July recording the seventh warmest temperatures since 1880.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association monthly report, the average surface land temperature in July was 1.51 degrees fahrenheidt above the 20th century average for the month, being the fifth warmest July on record.

NOAA has also reported a staggeringly low level of arctic ice. The average for July was 21.6 percent below average. This is the lowest recorded since satellite recordings began in 1979.

According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, as of August 14, the Arctic ice extent – a two-dimensional measuring of Arctic ice cover – was 5.56 million square km.

This loss, which has slowed down in late July can be linked to high-pressure weather that persisted over the northern Beaufort Sea. When the weather patter broke, the loss slowed. However, another high-pressure weather pattern is said to be on path to return.

Some scientists feel that measuring the extent is not enough, says the Alaska Dispatch. The thickness and volume of Arctic ice, while difficult to measure, is important to consider, as thinner ice is more susceptible to melting during the warmer summer months.

Ice volume is found by combining thickness and area. While this is difficult to do physically, computer models aid in these estimations.

When measuring the volume through July this year, the volume of arctic ice has been recorded well below the averages for each month, as well as below the 2007 averages, which held the record low ice extent.

The implications, while scientifically disputed show that people of the Arctic area are already being affected. NSIDC says that the polar ice cap in the Arctic Ocean now covers the second smallest area ever seen this time of year.

The article July’s High Temperatures Lead to Loss of Arctic Ice appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.