With the climate change being the prime concern of the moment, the Global Climate Summit held in Glasgow witnessed top global leaders pleading for action and change. The COP26, referring to the 26th Conference of the Parties, commenced on the 31st of October and will end on the 12th of November. More than 120 countries were present at the summit.
US President Joe Biden expressed his deep concerns and stated that climate change is a “threat to human existence.” The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres said that we were on a mission to dig our own graves and added that the sea level has drastically risen in the past 30 years.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain also gathered everyone’s attention and warned that the pace at which climate change is taking place, it’s no less than a bomb waiting to explode. “We need to act now”, said Johnson, as reported by New York Times.
However, the topic of climate change was not all that caught everyone’s attention. Absence of leaders from China and Russia in the summit raised many eyebrows.
India on the other hand made grand declarations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will achieve net zero emission by 2070. An emphasis on India sourcing half of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 was also made along with a strong consideration to reduce its carbon emission by 2030.
Modi further added that the rich, developed countries should extend a helping hand and provide a minimum of 1 trillion for financing and helping climate change in developing countries.
Greta Thunberg along with other young climate activists joined the protest outside the UN climate conference in Glasgow. Thunberg mocked and accused global leaders for not meeting their own promises and aims with regard to climate change. She also expressed her disappointment on not being invited to the summit during a BBC Interview.
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