World leaders gather to save Planet Earth

Is this a real turning point? When the history books are written, will they say this was the week when the human race finally took action to save our fragile and beautiful home? 

This weekend, world leaders and diplomats flocked to Glasgow for the event billed as “the world’s best last chance”. Cop26 is a crunch climate summit that will determine whether the most catastrophic scenarios of global heating can be averted.

After years of preparation, the work of the conference begins today. Representatives from over 200 countries, alongside NGOsNon-governmental organisations, such as charities or political campaign  , activists and others, are holding round-the-clock meetings, frantically attempting to agree on practical measures to curb climate change.

The issues involved in the talks are sprawling and complex. But what is at stake and whether the challenge can be met can be boiled down to a few stark figures:

2.7 – The temperature in centigrade by which the global average temperature is on course to rise since pre-industrial times. If this comes to pass, life on Earth will become harsh. Droughts will last up to ten months, making swathes of the planet uninhabitable. Deadly heat waves will be annual events for almost half the world’s population. The rising seas will displace hundreds of millions and engulf entire countries. This is the world that future generations are set to inherit – even if countries follow through on pre-existing commitments.

1.5 – The target temperature rise in centigrade agreed at the last major climate summit (Paris 2015). Heating like this would still result in much suffering: rising oceans, crop failures, migration crises, extreme weather events. About one in five insect species could go extinct, causing ecosystem havoc. Still, the cliff edge of spiralling disasters could yet be avoided.

413.2 – The proportion of the atmosphere as a fraction of a million that is currently carbon dioxide (CO2). This is the greenhouse gasGases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat, contributing to global warming. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour are all greenhouse gases. most responsible for climate change. Whereas Paris was about agreeing shared goals, the central task at Cop26 is to get individual countries to commit to policies to stop burning the fossil fuels which produce greenhouse gases.

30,000 – The estimated number of attendees at the summit. All of them come with the goal of lowering emissions, but they also have their own interests to consider. The challenge is to get leaders to commit their countries to costly programmes like building sustainable energy, even if that is difficult in the short term.

60 – The percentage of CO2 emitted so far that comes from just a few countries: the USA, the EU and China. China has committed to carbon neutralityWhen there is a balance between carbon emissions and the CO2 being removed from the atmosphere. It is also known as net zero. by 2060, which experts say is far too slow, and its leader Xi Jinping has chosen not to attend the conference – a setback to hopes for major progress.

12 – The number of days that Cop26 participants have to commit to policies that will set the world on course for 1.5C. 

“The pathway is extremely narrow,” says sustainable energy expert Fatih Birol. “We really don’t have much time left to shift course.” The clock starts now.

Is this a real turning point?

A lot of hot air?

If we’re trusting in politicians and pen pushers to save the world, pessimists say, then truly we are doomed. They might talk a good game, but ultimately our leaders are more concerned with power than principle. Summits like this are just fiddling while the Earth burns.

Wrong, say optimists: this is a real chance to unite for a better future. The changes being made are agonisingly slow and many obstacles remain, but the world is waking up to the coming crisis and little by little we can turn the tide. Now is the time for ordinary citizens to ramp up the pressure on our leaders to do the right thing.

Cop26 – COP stands for “conference of parties”, a name for a gathering under a framework developed by the UN for countries to work together in tackling climate change. This is the 26th time the “parties” have met.

NGOsNon-governmental organisations, such as charities or political campaign   – Short for non-governmental organisations, this term usually refers to charities and other independent, non-profit institutions.

Pre-industrial – The Industrial Revolution, which began in the eighteenth Century was fueled by burning coal, oil and gas. As a result the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has almost doubled, which is the main cause of climate change.

Cliff edge – Experts say that the projected results of climate change are “non-linear”. This means that the risks do not always rise steadily: there may be tipping points when global systems suddenly shift and suddenly cause much more drastic changes.

Greenhouse gas – A gas that absorbs radiation and therefore keeps heat within the atmosphere. Other greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide and ozone.

Sustainable energy – Energies sources such as wind, solar and hydro power, which do not depend on burning fossil fuels.

Carbon neutrality – The point at which a country reduces overall carbon emissions to zero, by drastically reducing the burning of fossil fuels as well as removing carbon from the atmosphere (for instance by planting trees).

Keywords

NGOs – Non-governmental organisations, such as charities or political campaign  

Greenhouse gas – Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat, contributing to global warming. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour are all greenhouse gases.

Carbon neutrality – When there is a balance between carbon emissions and the CO2 being removed from the atmosphere. It is also known as net zero.