Tag: COP26

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Campaigning and lobbying

Act Now

Today is Friday and for many young people around the world that means Fridays for Future, the youth movement started by a young girl sitting alone outside the Swedish parliament.

Greta was soon joined by others and today let’s celebrate youth activists at COP 26 and everywhere who have courageously stepped up to hold their elders to account for the future of the planet: people like Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Dominika Lasota and Vanessa Nakate.

You can support them right now by joining the nearly 1.7 million people who have signed their Emergency Appeal for Climate Action.

But don’t stop there! You can make changes in your daily life that, multiplied by millions of other people, will add up to a huge difference. You can also help influence your family, your school, your community or – like ELT Footprint UK – your profession.

As Greta says, “As citizens across the planet, we urge you to face up to the climate emergency. Not next year. Not next month. Now”

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Opinion

We are Watching

As COP26 enters another day, there has already been an agreement by over 100 countries to reduce methane emissions, an international agreement on deforestation that includes Brazil and Russia and $8.5 billion dollars to help South Africa – a major emitter of greenhouse gases – end its reliance on coal. Over 40 world leaders have also pledged to fund clean technology around the world. And India came forward with a promise to reach net zero by 2070 – 20 years too late but still a big step forward.

The methane agreement looks particularly promising as rapid reductions in production of this potent greenhouse gas could have an almost immediate effect on global warming.

But we have been here before and grand words have failed to meet their full promise: see Climate Tracker. Greta Thunberg calls this “blah, blah, blah” and she is often right – for example she was one of the first to call out the UK for not counting the greenhouse gases it produces from international aviation, shipping and imports. Already the UK’s COP26 promise to become the world’s first net zero finance centre looks wishy washy without being enshrined in law.

But if we are to address the Earth emergency there really is no alternative to global meetings, agreements and government actions. And it is getting easier to hold countries to account on their promises: big data from satellites for example can now show us immediately where methane is being emitted and forest are being cleared.

The British Prime Minister left COP26 expressing ‘cautious optimism’ to the outcome of the meeting. Maybe he believes his own words, but the UK can hardly expect to be counted a world leader on climate change or lecture others when it reduces tariffs on domestic flights and prevaricates on new coal mines and oil fields. Still, if populist leaders really do see the need to catch up with public opinion – and can be held to account – that might be a good thing.

Whatever the outcome of COP26 we will all continue to do what we can in our own lives, communities and professional spheres of influence. And we will all be watching. Expectations have been raised and governments will fail to meet them at their peril. 

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Resources

Music for COP26

Day 1 of COP26 and we have heard some impressive opening statements. And though words are important, we – all of us watching now, as well as future generations – will judge our leaders by their actions, not by their words.

Bolovian President Lui Arce said that developed nations are “just biding their time without facing any sense of responsibility toward humanity or towards Mother Earth.” 

“Their credibility is at peril,” he said. “The developed countries are coming up with speeches that portray them as champions to combat climate change and to address emissions by 2050, but this is far from being the truth.” So we wait, wish them well and will hold them to account.

Meanwhile, in hope rather more than expectation, here is some environmentally themed music from the excellent Outrage and Optimism podcasts. Enjoy!

Something’s about to change
WACO – A New Future
Palmaria – Ocean
Hoping – Elle L
Rachel Sermanni- What Can I Do
Emily Barker – The Woman Who Planted Trees
Aaron Frazer – Bad News
Justice (Calm Down II)
Midnight Masquerade – Asher Monroe
Milky Chance – We Didn’t Make It To The Moon
Guster – Satellite
Eliza Shaddad – Blossom
Easy Wanderlings – Dream To Keep Us Going
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Politics

Climate hypocrisy

Derived from Greek actors who used to ‘interpret from underneath’ a mask, the word hypocrisy today has a more general meaning referring to “a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.”

It is the right term to use for a government which, in 2021, seeks to show the rest of the world at COP 26 that it is serious about the climate and ecological emergency while simultaneously allowing the opening of a new coal mine in Cumbria.

The mine is projected to increase UK emissions by 0.4Mt (megatonnes) of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year – greater than the level of annual emissions projected from all open UK coal mines to 2050 (by which time the UK government will supposedly have reached net zero carbon emissions) – more info here.

The UK government has the power to stop the mine, but has argued it is a local issue. This is patently absurd as the emissions will form part of the overall production of greenhouse gases which threaten us all. The decision sends a very poor signal at a time when we are all trying to transition to a green economy.

A top climate scientist has today warned that the decision shows “contemptuous disregard for the future of young people”.

If enough people protest this decision, the government will have to listen or risk further accusations of hypocrisy. Please use your voice to ask the government to rethink. Sign the petition here.

 

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Campaigning and lobbying Politics

UK Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Congratulations to the 95 Members of the UK Parliament who have already expressed their support for the UK’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.

This is a cross-party bill written by scientists, lawyers and activists. It aims to persuade government of its overriding responsibility to take action on climate change.

This year the UK government wants to prove its environmental credentials to the world at COP 26 in Glasgow so this is a good time to gather support for real action.

Please tell your MP how important the climate and ecological emergency is to you and ask your MP to support the bill.

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Inspiration Resources

Climate Declaration

Congratulations to everyone involved in Mock COP 26, the virtual climate change discussions organised by young people in the absence of this year’s postponed climate talks in Glasgow. The result is the Mock COP Treaty which on education states:

14. Article 12 of the Paris Agreement commits the Parties to cooperate in scaling up and strengthening climate education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information on climate change.

15. Education on climate change and biodiversity, based on the best available science and data, needs to be made available at schools and educational establishments at every level, including informal education. School, college and university buildings and estates must lead by example on sustainability as they form the subliminal curriculum.

16. The Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action prepared in 2019 by the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative (‘CERI’), the United Nations International Children’s Fund (‘UNICEF’) and YOUNGO (the Children and Youth constituency to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), already signed by twelve countries, underlines the call for climate change and environmental education, and children’s rights, including the right to a healthy environment.

That is a very useful and clear statement of what needs to happen – indeed should already be happening – in education. Let’s make sure we act on it.

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Campaigning and lobbying Politics

Mock COP 26

Great publicity on the UK’s Channel 4 news the other day for the young people engaged in Mock COP, an international youth-led climate conference, mobilising around the postponement of COP26. Tune in on You Tube at midday UTC tomorrow (Tuesday 1 December) for the live closing ceremony and global statement.

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Inspiration Travel and transport

Get ready for MockCOP

Countdown to MockCOP

This international, youth-led climate conference, mobilising in the absence of the postponed COP 26 UN climate talks, aims to bring the passion and energy of young people to address the world’s climate and ecological crisis.

It begs the question as to why young people can organise a virtual conference like this while their elders have to fly around the world and stay in expensive hotels. Takes place 19 November to 1st December.

Why not show the MockCOP programme to your students to see what interests them?

Then follow along for motivating, challenging, real world content to discuss with your students.

Categories
Inspiration

Mock COP26

From 19th November to 1st December 2020 a youth-led online conference will show the world what would happen if young people were the decision makers.

The conference will follow a similar structure to the postponed COP26 climate summit and aims to raise the ambition of world leaders in tackling the climate emergency.

Learn more and give your support at https://www.mockcop.org/