As world leaders, CEOs and activists prepare to meet in Glasgow, two camps are emerging. Prisoners of hope who, like me,believe humankind can step-up to prevent disastrous temperature rises, as science says we must. And the vocal cynics already declaring COP26 a failure before its begun.
The key test for Glasgow is whether recent climate momentum keeps building. More nations and industries than ever are now moving in the right direction. The point is we must urgently accelerate this change.
Who would have predicted that during COVID-19 the world would have taken bigger strides on tackling global warming,than in the five years since the Paris Agreement? Despite predictions the pandemic would knock climate off the international agenda and let polluters off the hook, the 21 countries adopting net zero targets has jumped to 131. The number of major companies doing so has trebled.
None of this is yet enough and we shouldn't be self-congratulatory. The summer's IPCC report made clear that speeding climate change is a ‘code red’for humanity, to quote the UN Secretary General. We now know that emissions must fall by 45% in the next nine years,while current forecasts predict a rise. The goalposts have indeed shifted.
No government or C-suite wants planetary suicide. If we could take our recent rate of progress and double it again in the next 18 months, the world could finally be on track.
Crucially, we need a COP that puts partnership at the heart of our collective efforts. We need big, coordinated action across all parts of society, with governments, business and civil society coming together for transformational change.
We can't yet say that Glasgow will move us forward on all these fronts, and we can't say it won't. Most likely we'll be left a mixture of disappointed and encouraged:buoyed by the fact we are doing more than ever, and still terrified it won't be enough.
在各國領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人、首席執(zhí)行官和活動家準備在格拉斯哥會面之際,兩大陣營正在形成。像我這種滿懷希望的人認定人類能夠加緊行動,防止災(zāi)難性的升溫,這正是科學(xué)界認為我們必須采取的做法。而高聲吹毛求疵的人在《聯(lián)合國氣候變化框架公約》第26次締約方會議(COP26)開始之前就已經(jīng)宣告它沒用。
格拉斯哥會議面臨的重大考驗是,最近的氣候行動勢頭能否持續(xù)增強。如今,朝著正確方向邁進的國家和行業(yè)數(shù)量空前。關(guān)鍵在于我們必須緊急加快這一變化。
誰能預(yù)見到在新冠肺炎疫情暴發(fā)期間,全世界會在應(yīng)對全球變暖方面取得比在《巴黎協(xié)定》簽署后的五年里更大的進展?盡管有預(yù)測說這場大流行病會讓氣候
問題掉出國際議程,并讓污染制造者全身而退,可事實上采納凈零排放目標的國家數(shù)量從21個激增至131個。采取這種做法的大公司的數(shù)量增加了兩倍。
光有這些還不夠,我們不應(yīng)該沾沾自喜。今年夏天發(fā)布的政府間氣候變化專門委員會(IPCC)報告援引了聯(lián)合國秘書長的話,明確表示不斷加速的氣候變化是給人類發(fā)出的“紅色代碼”。我們現(xiàn)在了解到
碳排放必須在今后九年里減少45%,而當前的預(yù)測是排放量還會增加。事實上完成任務(wù)的難度進一步提升。
沒有哪個政府或企業(yè)最高管理層想看到地球自殺。如果我們能保持住最近的發(fā)展進度,并在今后18個月實現(xiàn)翻倍,世界最終可能會走上正軌。
至關(guān)重要的是,我們需要召開一次把伙伴關(guān)系置于集體行動核心位置的締約方會議。我們需要社會各界采取大刀闊斧、協(xié)調(diào)一致的行動,讓政府、企業(yè)和民間團體為實現(xiàn)局面的徹底改觀而齊心協(xié)力。
還不能說格拉斯哥會議會讓我們在所有這些方面取得進展,也不能說它不會取得這樣的成果。最有可能出現(xiàn)的情況是,我們會既感到失望又受到鼓舞:振奮于我們做得比以往更多,同時仍舊為努力還不夠而惶恐。