At COP26, It ’s Domestic Politics, Stupid

In the weeks leading up to COP26, the U.N. climate conference now in its final hours in Glasgow, youth climate activists consistently expressed dismay at the lack of progress decarbonizing the global economy. Negotiators from countries around the world seemed poised to rebuff the youth demands for a dramatic intervention to avert the worst of climate change, and, in doing so, condemn them to face the worst effects of climate change. A week into the talks, Barack Obama arrived in Glasgow with a message of encouragement for the young climate activists: keep up the good work. Youth activists have moved the needle, “building power” and “raising awareness,” Obama told a group of young climate leaders on the sidelines of the conference, insisting that the slow movement was the result of the slow wind of the democratic process. “It is not just cowardice on the part of leaders that prevents them from meeting these goals,” he said. “It’s the fact that, at least [for] those of us who live in democracies, there’s not yet a full consensus.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Two things can be true at once: the science shows clearly that humans need to rapidly decarbonize, and, at the same, political challenges on the ground in countries across the globe have metastasized, posing an impediment to the sort of widespread change that could truly keep climate goals alive. It’s a reality that’s come to head at CO...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate change Climate Is Everything Source Type: news