It’s time to forego financial factors and genuinely deliver on climate action
The 26th annual UN climate change conference, COP26, began in Glasgow last weekend on Sunday, October 31st, and will continue until Friday, November 12th. The coverage so far has seen world leaders making significant commitments in the fight against climate change, and while these changes are welcome and necessary, as is often the case when climate change is brought up, an air of scepticism remains for a lot of people.
In the past, one of the biggest barriers to enacting meaningful progress has been a lack of faith in the truly disastrous effects climate change wreaks. However, the blind eye that was often turned to the climate crisis is no longer acceptable. The devastating effects of climate change are already very apparent, and will only continue to worsen if action isn’t taken. For the most part, we as a society have come to understand this, and it is recognised by most people that taking urgent action is an overdue requirement.
All of that said, the topic of climate change still continues to spark apprehension for a lot of people. So a question remains: if the popular opinion is one which recognises the need for drastic change to combat this crisis, why does this apprehension persist?
The answer probably lies in how we’ve seen the fight against climate change play out in the past.
Oftentimes when discussing climate responsibility, onus falls onto the individual. The conversation quickly turns to your personal carbon footprint, whether or not you cycle to work, or if you have ever left the tap running while brushing your teeth, etc. Undoubtedly, there is great importance in practising good environmental stewardship oneself – and these things do have a positive knock-on effect – but as most of us are aware, changing individual actions will not be enough to successfully tackle the problem.
Globally, we have seen overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that the bulk of carbon emissions are outside the control of the individual. A 2017 study found that 71% of global industrial emissions can be credited to just 100 companies, and a 2019 study attributed more than a third of all emissions to just twenty companies. Even post-Paris Agreement, we see that there is a clear tendency to forego environmental protection when it is profitable to do so. Meanwhile, as reports come in from COP26, we are reminded of the promises made in past summits that were never lived up to, particularly by more developed countries, and one wonders if the same motivation – putting financial considerations above the obvious obligation to act – is still at large.
It was confirmed last week that a pledge made in 2009 by developed countries to provide $100 billion in climate funding has not been met, and is not expected to be met until 2023 at the earliest. These wealthier nations, which cause the bulk of emissions, have a responsibility to provide financially so that poorer countries aren’t left to suffer the consequences of what richer nations have put in motion. The failure to come through on this funding puts vulnerable countries at a direct risk, and if left unrectified, will prove disastrous and even deadly.
Sinisterly, the same issue seems to continue to creep up everywhere that we see attempts at fighting climate change fall short. It feels undeniable that at the moment, environmental protection’s biggest adversary is blatant economic prioritisation at the expense of those who’re less well-off.
Despite the fact that climate change has been a known problem for quite some time, years of failing to adequately address it, coupled with it being overshadowed at a critical point due to the pandemic, has caused the issue to be exacerbated. Now it has reached a point where meaningful change can only come about via immediate and drastic action – and such action is costly. However, having seen the clear prioritisation of profitability in the face of this crisis, this apprehension upon listening to world leaders’ commitments in Glasgow is understandable.
All in all, the sentiments being shared at COP26 do seem to be echoing the need for unprecedented action, and I hope that we do see prompt and effective measures being implemented in its wake. The Covid-19 pandemic pushed the issue of climate change from the forefront of people’s minds, but it has actually become a more pressing matter in the meantime. As the window for enacting significant change continues to become smaller, foregoing financial prioritisation in the face of the climate crisis is something that must come about fast.
