COP26: Glasgow and the world are protesting against the climate today

Following the call for action by thousands of young people in Glasgow to tackle climate change, tens of thousands of protesters are expected again today in the city hosting the climate conference and around the world.

From Sydney to Paris, passing through London, Nairobi or Mexico, more than 200 events are set to take place today, according to the Coalition of Leading Organizations.

The protesters will demand “climate justice” and immediate action in favor of communities already affected by climate deregulation, especially in the poorest countries in the South.

In Sydney and Melbourne, protesters disguised as coal piles or Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister and a staunch supporter of the mining industry, denounced COP26 as “comedy” and their prime minister as “utter shame”.

“Enough with the blah blah, real climate action now,” a banner proclaimed.

In Glasgow, Scotland, police said they were expecting up to 50,000 people to demonstrate not far from the tightly guarded conference center, where the week-long UN climate conference, which is considered crucial, is taking place. for the future of humanity.

“I think it is very important to put pressure on world leaders meeting at COP26 and show them that we are holding them accountable,” said Iona, a 23-year-old art student living in her first major demonstration. .

This World Day of Action is, in her view, “a perfect opportunity for peoples around the world to unite and seek justice for our planet and for those at the forefront of the climate crisis.”

A demonstration attended by thousands of young people, who have come to emphasize the urgent need to tackle climate change, took place yesterday, Friday, in Glasgow, at the end of the first of the two weeks of COP26.

Protesters are calling on the world’s greats to do more and faster to deal with the devastating effects of rising temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

“It is no secret that COP26 is a failure,” said Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, one of the leaders of the youth movement on climate change.

He described COP26 as a “celebration of … blah blah” and a “green flushing festival” following the sometimes vague commitments by groups of countries to fight deforestation, reduce methane emissions or cut off energy production. from fossil fuels.

Stop at the “nice words”

Concrete measures rather than words are what the protesters will demand again today.

“Obviously, nice words are not enough and that the next week of discussions should be marked by concrete plans,” said Mikaela Loch, a British activist who has challenged the UK’s oil plans.

The dangers of COP26 are many in the context of a global pandemic that has made poor countries more vulnerable, which were already vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

About 200 delegations are mainly considering ways to limit global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius and, if possible, to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Every additional tenth rise in temperature counts and brings consequences, heat waves, fires or floods.

But according to the latest UN estimates, which will be updated with the latest promises, the world is currently heading for a “catastrophic” rise in temperature by 2.7 degrees Celsius.

And according to a scientific study, global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas that mainly causes the greenhouse effect, increased again in 2021 to levels close to the records set before the Covid-19 pandemic.

In recent days, new commitments have been announced by India, Brazil or even Argentina, which could change those forecasts.

The COP26 negotiations, which are scheduled to last until November 12, will continue today and tomorrow, Sunday, will be a day of rest.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ