We get it… this stuff is hard to negotiate.
Asking delegates representing entire nations to reduce the very things that keep them alive is understandably going to be met with resistance.
Just saying use less coal/kerosene isn’t as easy as it sounds – it must be replaced by something affordable and reliable.
But it’s not developing nations who are to blame.
So where has COP26 failed?
At previous COP summits all parties agreed to aim for a maximum global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Now, we’re being told that this simply isn’t (or wasn’t) achievable and we should now expect a minimum of a two-degree increase and everything that comes with it.
For those of us in the West, we simply haven’t gone far enough. We have the technology to address how we impact the planet and we should have committed to do more, regardless of what other nations can/can’t do.
As with most things of this nature, it’s all about money and right now those in charge are protecting industry share prices instead of protecting us.
COP26 has failed to support those who need it the most.
Developing nations will feel the biggest impact of climate change. They need help to deal with severe weather extremes, and they should be supported in the transition to renewable resources, both technically and financially.
It is not as easy as saying “let’s reduce the use of coal/kerosene around the world”, when over half the population of the planet has no choice but to use those resources.
There is no affordable alternative for them – until we make it affordable.
But where’s the profit in that…
