The idea of a carbon budget sounds simple: we have a limited amount of CO₂ that we can release before crossing dangerous temperature thresholds. But what makes it alarming is how quickly we are burning through this budget.
Every time a car is driven, a factory runs or a forest is cleared, carbon dioxide is pumped into the atmosphere, reducing the available carbon budget. We are eating away our carbon budget very fast. You may get the shock of your life, if you know the numbers. In just a blink of an eye, every second, nearly 1.3 million kg of CO₂ is released into the atmosphere – yes, every single second.
Shocking, isn’t it? Just for comparison, a tree takes 25 to 30 years before it absorbs 800 to 1000 kg of CO₂. It means we are cutting nearly 1350 to 1500 fully grown trees, every single second. In just a single hour, millions of tonnes of extra CO₂ is released into the atmosphere. And, in one day, nearly 100 million tonnes – just in one day. And this happens every day, every year, without pause.
These numbers tell us one thing: we do not have the luxury of time. If emissions continue unchecked, the global economy, politics and policies will be forced to confront an even bigger crisis in just a couple of decades. The climate crisis will not be something our grandchildren will deal with – it will unfold in the lifetime of those living today.
Given this stark reality, one would expect an all-hands-on-deck global response. Instead, we see governments and corporations setting net-zero targets62 for 2050, 2060 and beyond. Another worry is the manner in which net-zero targets are defined, without actually putting any limit on consumption.
So why is there such a massive gap between what science says and what policymakers do? Why is there no sense of urgency, even when the data is so clear?
In a world filled with distractions, how do we make people realise that time is running out? That’s exactly what the Climate Clock was designed to do.
Unlike regular clocks that count forward, the Climate Clock counts backward – showing how much time is left before we cross critical global warming thresholds, like 1.5°C or 2°C. It’s not about hours and minutes; it’s about years, days, hours and even seconds until the point of no return.
When people see it for the first time, many ask, “Is this a faulty clock? Why is it going in reverse?’” But once they understand what it truly represents, the reaction changes. There’s silence. Then there’s reflection.
Because the clock doesn’t lie. It reminds us that we are in a countdown to catastrophe – and every second matters. Climate Clocks are now part of a growing global movement. The most iconic one is installed in New York City’s Union Square, where its giant red digits flash the remaining time humanity has to act before crossing the 1.5°C threshold. Similar clocks have been set up in Berlin, Seoul, Glasgow, Rome and other cities on buildings, in public spaces, at climate conferences and even in classrooms. These clocks are not just scientific instruments; they are public wake-up calls, reminding the world that the climate crisis is not decades away – it’s ticking down right now, in real time.
To spread this awareness, the Energy Swaraj Foundation has installed over 1000 Climate Clocks in schools, colleges, offices, public spaces and institutions across India. These clocks are more than just devices – they are symbols of urgency, daily reminders and, sometimes, conversation starters that awaken people to the reality that we cannot afford to delay action any longer.
Whenever I stand beside one of these clocks, I tell people: “This is not just a countdown to 1.5°C. It’s a countdown to your children’s future, to your community’s safety, to your own survival.”
The Climate Clock forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: we are not running out of ideas. We are not running out of technology. We are running out of time. So the next time you pass by a Climate Clock, don’t look away. Look closely, and ask yourself: what am I doing with the time I have left?
These carbon budget together with current carbon emission rate numbers make it clear: if we do not drastically reduce emissions, we will exceed the 2°C limit within just two to three decades. And that is assuming emissions remain constant. If emissions increase – which they still are – this timeline shrinks even further.
Why is the world not responding with urgency, despite clear warnings and shrinking time? Why is the world sleeping?
Immediate action requires tough decisions such as cutting fossil fuel subsidies, limiting industrial emissions and reshaping economies, but these are unpopular and politically risky. So, they choose distant deadlines while emissions keep rising.
During my talks, I often ask the audience, after giving a brief explanation of the situation, “When should we start correcting climate change?” By then, people have understood that climate change is not some future event. And when I ask the question, the answer I get from them is almost always the same: “Now.”
I repeat the question again, louder and with more conviction, just to hear it back with greater clarity. And this time, the whole room often responds in unison: “Right now.”
That’s when I push them a little.
I say, “No, let’s start after the next financial quarter.”
“Let’s wait until exams are over.”
“Let’s begin after the festival season.’
“Let’s make a New Year’s resolution.”
And everyone laughs because they know what I’m saying is true. This is exactly what we’re all doing. Postponing. Waiting. Treating climate correction like it’s just another item on a long to-do list.
For most people, exams are more urgent. Budgets are more important. Celebrations take priority. And so, the climate can wait. But it cannot wait.
What deeply troubles me is that this lack of urgency is not limited to the public – it extends to the top. Most political leaders, academic leaders, scientists and policymakers are treating the climate crisis as if there is time. As if we have decades. But we don’t. There is no restlessness in their eyes. But in mine, there is growing restlessness every single day. Why is the world still sleeping?
Why are we still planning, debating and postponing? Delaying now is a disaster.
Sometimes, I wonder, shouldn’t we pause everything, even if just briefly? Shouldn’t we shut down our schools, offices and factories, call off our normal routines and come together to make a collective decision that says: “Climate change is the most urgent crisis we face – and we must act right now.”
Because if we don’t, if we delay further, we may soon find that the window for meaningful action has already closed.
“Delay is the deadliest form of denial.” These words perfectly capture the crisis we’re facing.
We are not waiting for climate change – it is already here. The science is clear, the warnings are loud and the carbon clock is ticking fast. Yet our response remains painfully slow. The longer we delay, the fewer options we will have. Every second of inaction is a step closer to irreversible damage – a future where survival itself will be defined by suffering, not security.
We do not need another report, another deadline, or another meeting. What we need is courage. Urgency. Restlessness. Action.
The real question is no longer when to start climate correction. The question is:
Will we act before the damage becomes irreversible – or will we continue denying it until delay seals our fate?
The world is not short on solutions – it is short on will.
The carbon budget is not infinite – it is rapidly shrinking.
And time is not later – it is now.
