The climate crisis has started being taken more seriously as citizens and government officials have realized the direness of the situation our world and climate are in. This is a very great and important realization; but, there are some downsides on how these efforts are being implemented and considered, particularly witnessed in the COP26 summit. In this piece, I will mention the current implementations and their downsides, ultimately encouraging you to take a stance on our current initiatives and if they can be better or not, and how. Thinking about things like these is the first step in the larger goal of attaining climate justice, and truly, your input and ideas are integral for change.
This month witnessed the world’s 26th UN Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow, United Kingdom. If you are unfamiliar with this conference, it is an annual conference that has taken place since 1992, first in Beijing, China. It is also referred to as COP, which stands for the conference of the parties. The main effort is to have representatives of Parties to the Convention and Observer States, members of the press and media, and representatives of observer organizations discuss, negotiate, and implement actions to combat climate change. Two well-known initiatives have come out of this conference, one of which is known as the Kyoto Protocol where the UN and 36 other industrialized nations agree to reduce GHG emissions, first 5% in 2008, then 18% in 2013. Another initiative is known as the Paris Climate agreement consisting of 195 nations that partake in actions towards mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage as well as the notion of wealthier nations helping poorer ones.
For this year, the main goals of the conference consist of working together to deliver and create change, adapting to protect communities and natural habitats, mobilizing finance for these implementations, and reaching global net-zero, or a balance between greenhouse gasses coming in and out the atmosphere, by mid-century. Though these goals seem practical and attainable, there are some hindrances within COP26 that may negatively impact our ability to reach them. For one, nations are resistant to committing to agreements that will have too big of an impact on their economy or go against their self-interest. Secondly, targets set in previous conferences are missed again and again. While nations say they are heading towards net-zero and promise to follow the goals set in the Paris agreement, they don’t have sufficient plans to follow through. Thirdly, the conference leaders are mostly old men. This does not reflect the people who will be most affected by climate change, young people. Lastly, conference negotiations lack accessibility to the public, ultimately restricting the presence of innovative ideas. There have been efforts to fight against these impediments, one being protests. In fact, November 6th witnessed a protest in Glasgow consisting of over 100,000 individuals, mostly young women.
Altogether, it is up to you to determine what you think about the current climate initiatives and how/if they could be better. In reiteration, considerations like these are the first steps toward change and your voice has a larger impact than you think. Thus, get vocal in your community and take the following steps below to advocate for immediate action against climate change:
Follow activists on social media
@gretathunberg
@thisiszerohour
@laurenthesunflower
Join clubs and organizations
Be more conscious of climate change and how it will affect disadvantaged communities and developing nations most
Contact your congressional representatives
Sources:
Co-writer: Ilayda Tinney https://thevotu.wixsite.com/website
Image Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56941979