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TOBAN
MANI
Oct. 13, 2021
Pro-climate rhetoric needs to be backed by policy action COMMENT
Ivan Nuñez Gamez, volunteer Ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference — often referred to as COP26 — environmental ministers came together in Milan, Italy to lay groundwork for Youth4Climate. The summit, which was set to provide a platform for intergenerational discussions on creative climate action, was received by countless protests demanding for climate justice. COP26 will be the first climate conference in which signatories of the Paris Agreement will be evaluated on their commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions — something Canada has fallen short of. Aside from the U.S., Canada is the only G7 country — an intergovernmental political forum — to fall short of achieving its Paris Agreement goals, and the consequences are evident. In the last year, Canada has directly faced the realities of climate change. Excessive wildfires and strong heat waves across multiple provinces ravaged the nation this summer. Before the elections, polls found most Canadians described climate change as a top issue, but despite public pressure the government has not followed with strong action. The Liberals, who allegedly had the most efficient and least costly climate plan, have faced serious backlash for not leading by example. In fact, the Liberal party has little place to boast about its plan considering it purchased the Trans Mountain Pipeline in its last term and continues to support polluting technologies. While in Milan, minister of environment and climate change Jonathan Wilkinson emphasized the importance of capping oil and gas emissions while eliminating fossil fuel subsidies. Despite concurring with many fellow ministers, his message was received with a high level of skepticism from environmentalists, especially Greta Thunberg.
The young climate activist, who rose to fame in 2018 after skipping school while advocating for climate action, described the dialogue as “words that sound great,” but continued to criticize governments’ inaction. According to Thunberg, political rhetoric has taken over climate advocacy and instead of engaging with younger generations for the creation of an effective action plan, world leaders cherry-pick young environmentalists to attend events such as Youth4Climate as a facade. The sad part is, there is a lot of truth to this.
graphics / Dallin Chicoine / staff
COP26 will prove if Canada is committed to diligent climate action
Despite significant awareness regarding the global climate emergency and several initiatives led by the G7 and China to stop funding coal-fired power stations abroad, the exploitation of coal prevails. According to the International Energy Agency, the level of coal production forecast for 2050 is about four times the limit needed to reach net zero emissions — a keystone in the Paris Agreement. And coal is just one-fourth of the problem. In his opening remarks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will be hosting COP26 in Scotland in late October, indicated the renovated approach to tackling climate change has four pillars — coal, cars, cash and trees. Aside from replacing coal as the main resource for the production of electricity, the head of the U.K. government suggested the world needs to stop using internal combustion engine vehicles and start mass reforestation projects. But one remark regarding climate finance stood out. Johnson indicated funds need to be gathered in order to tackle climate change in the developing world, yet this has become an uphill battle. Earlier this year while attending the G7 summit, world leaders reaffirmed their 2009 commitment to raising US$100 billion for poorer countries to fight the climate emergency by 2025. This goal was extended five years from the 2020 deadline. But according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, there is a US$20 billion gap that needs to be closed before leaders gather for COP26. This shortness on cash is where Canada and Germany can be the game-changers. The Canadian minister of environment and climate change and the German secretary of state for the environment were tasked with gathering over US$20 billion to help developing countries deal with the effects of climate change and build greener economies. According to Wilkinson, what was first described as “mission impossible” has now gained momentum through a series of bilateral meetings with some of the wealthiest nations. Though there are still no new donations, Wilkinson reaffirmed Germany and Canada will deliver the US$100 billion
commitment. Though the effort to find funding deserves praise, there is still much to be done. According to recent studies, the point of no return to counter climate change is set for 2035. Despite the efforts of grassroots organizations, the state of the world requires a systematic reorientation that only governments can provide. Carbon neutrality by 2050 and all the statutes under the Paris Agreement are feasible, but the politically convenient approach needs to be substituted by consequential policy. The time to repair all the damage we have done is now.
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