We are facing an unprecedented threat. Rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from burning fossil fuels and deforestation are leading to global heating that is destabilizing the climate, putting lives, livelihoods and entire ecosystems at risk.
I live by the idea that perfection should not get in the way of progress. You don’t have to be perfect, but you must make progress every day. The climate crisis is as much a rural problem as an urban one, economic and human, domestic and international.
Once you have accepted the inevitability of the change towards sustainability, you also have to accept that you can’t do it alone.
This means transformation is required at every level of society: individuals, employers, institutions and international partners need to work together to understand the trade-offs, agree on compromises and seize opportunities. And just as scientists are gathering insights from diverse fields of expertise, we, as individuals, need to learn to live in new ways, improving the way we consume, recycle, travel and eat to plot a clear path to net zero. This is a whole systems challenge.
This is why I founded Kumeia. Kumeia is a meeting of minds. A multi-disciplinary team of individuals dedicated to the fight against climate change.
Kumeia is a place for companies and individuals to understand and take responsibility for their climate impact, where people come together to push sustainability forward from the 2015 Paris Agreement, sharing the skills and knowledge necessary to live a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle. I believe that it is possible to change our lifestyle and transform the world around us.
The 2015 Paris Agreement
The 2050 goal is a point representing the balance between unavoidable GHG emissions and their removal from the atmosphere, through reforestation or carbon capture and storage technologies. It’s like a symphony orchestra. To really reach the 2015 Paris Agreement goal and avoid the most devastating effects of climate change, limit global temperature rise to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and reach net zero emissions by the mid-century, all parts have to play together.
We have the power to change our way of seeing things and to get rid of unhealthy habits. So let’s start with small daily gestures and work towards the development and support of big projects. We want to dream big and we want to dream together. Kumeia wants to share with you, and wants to help you share with your community all the knowledge necessary to achieve this goal.
Impossible is an attitude. This is an ambitious project, but ambitious goals are not there to scare us, they are there to challenge us! Sometimes, the power of the crowd can be a good thing. I believe that sharing knowledge is key and that we will get there, if we work together. I’m confident that we will make this vision possible. We will learn together how to make this progress happen, one skill at a time!
Let’s start this journey now
Désirée Haupts, Founder
Kumeia is a nonprofit organisation based in Zürich, Switzerland. Donations can be deducted from your taxable income.
