It was meant to be a ground breaking agreement – a coming together of all nations – to agree a way to resolve the climate crisis. Instead, COP26 was an anticlimax after the hype and anticipation.
The pandemic had shown what individual countries could do when faced with an emergency – and it was hoped that the consensus on climate change would lead to those nations responding to the climate emergency with the same urgency.
Instead, the watered down agreement is a greenwash – and many are left frustrated and angry by the lack of real commitment to solutions.
The smaller nations, with little influence on the major polluters, made a desperate plea to save their people from impending doom. The talk of aid to those nations however, never made it to the table.
In the UK, our own Government has publically spoken of support for phasing out fossil fuels – but the truth is that they are continuing with the new coal mine in Cumbria and the new Cambo oilfield.
Actions speak louder than words and, yet again, our leaders have embraced the blah blah blah.
There is still some hope. The side agreements, such as the US-China agreement on emissions, are promising.
There is also the climate movement, driven by people who recognise that change is needed.
Democracy allows us to force our politicians to act or be thrown out. If our leaders will not act, we can replace them with those who will respond to the climate crisis as an emergency.
We can act with our wallets, ditching companies who continue to pollute. We can shop local; buying local produce and support our communities.
We can make small changes that – collectively – will make a difference.
We still need our leaders to step up – and to lead us out of this climate crisis – but we can still hold a small strand of hope that our planet can be saved.