Environment

Globally, two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste product are emitted into local water sources each day.¹ Human waste product is the leading water pollutant — 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities.² Twelve percent of the global population practices open defecation.³ Greenhouse gases, hazardous chemicals, smoke, industrial pollution, pollen and exhaust can form layers of smog — particularly over cities and metropolitan regions — all of which raise health and environmental issues. In 2016, 197 nations agreed to reduce their usage of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), emissions produced by machinery like refrigerators and air conditioners, under the Kigali Agreement. This amendment to the Montreal Protocol is projected to prevent 80 billion metric tons of emissions over the next 30 years.⁴ HFCs, though they account for a small percentage of all greenhouse gas emissions, are some of the most harmful and are significant contributors to climate change.⁵ Recycling is the process of gathering, treating and repurposing or recreating materials into a new, usable product.⁶ Germany, Austria, South Korea and Wales each recycle between 52 and 56 percent of all municipal waste, and have the highest national recycling rates in the world. Europe as a whole recycles 30 percent of all its plastic waste.⁷ The United States, in comparison, recycles just 9 percent of its plastic waste.⁸ Pollution, unsustainable development and high population levels are all considered to be threats to the conservation of natural resources.⁹ The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions 15-20 percent by 2050, as well as reduce natural resource consumption by 26 percent.¹⁰