Global Action on Climate Change Blocked By Political Disruptions

On Sept. 20, millions of young people around the world took to streets demanding bold action on climate change. When world leaders gathered at the United Nations Climate Action Summit three days later, the activists’ demands were left unmet. The problem, by and large, isn’t that countries are denying the science of climate change. Instead, the issue is the entanglement of a slew of other issues that have gotten in the way: China’s trade war with the United States; the European Union’s Brexit distraction; and long-time concerns about economic development exacerbated by a lack of support from the U.S, among others. This new reality has left the most concerned leaders grappling for the next move. Some called this week to give preferred trading status to other countries pursuing aggressive climate action. Others called for a broad campaign to shame countries that have failed to meet their commitments. The details varied, but as the dust settled on the summit it seemed clear to many that more aggressive climate measures would not be achieved without a paradigm shift, moving from diplomatic cooperative engagement to forceful pushes. “What I see is governments still reluctant in changing the regulations, in adopting the adequate tax policies and in making the other moves to allow the markets to work in the way markets will inevitably work,” U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at a lunch for business leaders Monday, departing from h...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate change onetime U.N. Source Type: news