Glasgow: Yet another COP-out
In November, the Scottish city on the River Clyde will be visited by some of the world’s most prominent politicians and businesspeople. Ostensibly, the reason for their meeting is to commit to new emissions targets and give hope to the world that they can find a solution to the climate crisis. But in reality, COP26 will just be another round of what Greta Thunberg rightly calls “blah blah blah”.
The key players at COP26 are US president Joe Biden and UK prime minister Boris Johnson. Despite being widely praised as leading the world on climate action, all of their responses to the crisis have been vague, distant, and incrementalist. Biden had approved 2100 new oil and gas permits as of July, setting a faster pace than Trump, while Johnson has refused to block new coal mines.
Meanwhile, Australia’s response has been woefully inadequate. Scott Morrison initially had no desire to even attend the conference, despite Australia’s consistently low ranking regarding its commitment to tackling climate change. But recently Morrison capitulated. Even the regressive Murdoch press and the sycophantic National party have backed the vague “net-zero by 2050” target in recent days.
It is vital to understand this for the cynical shift it is. Delay is the new denial and there is little to be lost for Morrison by claiming to support unambitious climate targets while continuing to back the fossil fuel industry. Net-zero by 2050 amounts to nothing more than government greenwashing.
The conference in November will be the 26th iteration. In all the decades that have passed since global warming was first identified as an impending and catastrophic threat to life on Earth, what has been done to counter it? The fossil fuel industry has continued to rake in eye-watering profits and carbon emissions have continued to increase year on year.
We can’t rely on the rich and powerful to solve the crisis. We need to protest COP26 to show them that their conference is futile, their words are unconvincing, and their targets are vastly inadequate. It’s time to restart the climate movement.
A Global Day of Action has been called for Saturday, 6 November.
The COVID-safe Melbourne contingent will meet at the State Library of Victoria at 1pm - be there and bring your friends. If you’re interested in helping to build the protest or want to get involved in climate activism, check out La Trobe Uni Students for Climate Justice.
https://cop26action.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/981381755929829
https://www.facebook.com/LatrobeUSFCJ