As the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) nears an end, it may be more important to talk about what wasn’t discussed at the summit than what was. Predictably, trendy culprits of the day like oil, private jets and cars were the subject of highly-publicized speeches and promises, with buzzy terms like “sustainability” and “net-zero” tossed about like confetti on a new bride.
With Western leaders’ approval ratings slumping to record lows, they’re eager to change the political conversation. The lingering pandemic, inflation, and general government incompetence are downers –– but a brighter, cleaner, greener future is something they’re happy to get behind. And so, suddenly, every prime minister and president is the Oprah of climate promises: “You get a net-zero pledge! You get a net-zero pledge! Everybody gets a net-zero pledge!”
The problem is you can’t meaningfully tackle climate change without confronting some very ugly realities, namely, corruption. It’s a word conspicuously missing from COP26, despite climate corruption being one of the biggest hurdles to real progress on everything from deforestation to carbon emissions.
No comments:
Post a Comment