Home > Environment > Climate Change > The Impact of Climate Change
Since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, humankind has been relying on the fossil fuels as major sources of energy, thereby emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The increase in the amounts of carbon dioxide emitted blocks the heat radiated off the surface of the Earth into the atmospheric sphere, contributing to the continuous rise in the Earth's temperature. Although the Earth's temperature had grown by 4ºCduring the ten thousand years preceding the 19th century, ever since it is expected to have risen by 6ºC by the end of the 21st century. The global warming phenomenon caused by greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide is expected to bring not only a rise in the average temperature on the surface of the Earth, but also severe coldness and harsh hotness simultaneously. Global warming is already causing anomaly in the sea currents and dysfunction in the atmospheric circulation, precipitating climate changes around the world.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN-led organization, has stated in its 'Fourth Report on Climate Change' that the ice layers in the North Pole region are melting, while islands in low seas are flooded, and temperatures and the sea levels are rising. The report also predicted that these signs will be accompanied in the future by further climate anomalies, including scorching hot weather, storms, expansion of desert, and severe draught.
Climate change is a major issue affecting all aspects of human life on earth. The auto industry, which has been criticized for emitting greenhouse gases in practically all aspects including manufacturing, sales, and usage, is faced with social demand for fundamental changes in the industry's policies regarding the environment.
HMC has selected climate change as the most important issue of sustainable management. Ever since the inauguration of TFT in response to the Climate Change Protocol of 2005, the company has been vigorously pursuing the reduction in the greenhouse gas emission throughout the whole lifecycle of cars. It is also actively building a network of cooperation with part suppliers in order to bring about changes across the auto industry.
