An aerial view over the Scottish city of Glasgow, looking eastwards up the River Clyde.
Global leaders met in Glasgow at COP26 from Oct. 31 – Nov. 13, 2021, to discuss the climate crisis and how to address it. Failed promises and delayed action in the face of immediate impacts led many attendees and observers to protest and demand more from their leaders. Some positive steps were taken, but we need more ambitious goals, comprehensive plans, actual implementation now, and equitable support for climate mitigation and adaptation.
The Climate Crisis
Worldwide, we are spewing 152 million tons of human-made global warming pollution like CO2 into our atmosphere every day, causing average temperatures to rise. The largest source of this global warming pollution is the burning of fossil fuels. Earlier this year, CO2 levels passed 420 parts per million for the first time. This unfortunate milestone means we are rapidly approaching the threshold of 1.5°C temperature increase, a climate tipping point that will make it more difficult to sustain healthy natural systems. It also means that climate change is already here. We see evidence around the globe and in Los Angeles with ocean acidification, sea level rise, intense droughts and wildfires, record-breaking storm events, and more frequent deadly heatwaves. While we are all impacted by these rapid changes, a history of racially discriminatory land and environmental policies has caused an unjust and disproportionate impact on overburdened communities of color.
COP26
The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) brought countries together this year to discuss the climate crisis and commit to action toward achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement – primarily to limit global temperature rise to 1.5° C and provide support for climate mitigation and adaptation in developing countries*. But it was not only global leaders and decision makers who traveled to Glasgow for this summit. Activists from across the world turned out for this critical event, demanding action.
“A lot of people ask me, what are my hopes for COP? And honestly, I don’t have any hopes. I have expectations and I have demands, because we are tired of hoping. We don’t need hope. We need action.”
– Mitzi Jonelle Tan, climate activist from the Philippines
Wealthier countries*, often the ones contributing the most global warming pollution, have failed to deliver on promises made in the original Paris Agreement to build clean energy systems and provide support to pay for climate related damages in under-resourced countries. Developing countries* are impacted most acutely by the climate crisis as are communities of color.
“There is an odd duality that comes with being one of few environmentalists of color in such an exclusive space. On one hand, we understand the privilege we’ve been granted to represent our people and advocate for our livelihoods. On the other hand, we have to deal with not being fully valued or actually listened to.”
– Leah Thomas, intersectional environmentalist from the United States
Yet they are underrepresented at COP26 and other similar conferences that are supposed to be coming up with global solutions. This gap in representation in the conversations and negotiations that impact them the most has a compounding negative effect for developing countries who also have a lack of access to resources to adapt to the changing climate.
“I am tired of applauding my people’s resilience. True resilience is not just defined by a nation’s grit but by our access to financial resources.”
– Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji
There have been a number of exciting announcements to come out of COP26. World leaders have committed to end deforestation by 2030. The US joined the pledge to reduce methane emissions (another critical greenhouse gas), backed by new EPA regulations. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a global coalition of cities committed to cutting emissions in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emission by 2050. And recent pledges from wealthier counties* have narrowed the gap in achieving the $100 billion funding commitment made in the Paris Agreement to support mitigation and adaptation in developing countries*.
The COP26 report also claims that the goal to stay below a temperature increase of 1.5° C remains in sight, but evidence shows that our current trajectory is way off course. The most recent IPCC report proves that this goal is still possible, but it will require immediate and drastic action. Countries will need to commit to much more stringent goals, develop comprehensive and transparent plans to get there, and (most importantly) follow through on those promises. Considering the lack of progress, it is no wonder that activists turned out en masse to demand more from their world leaders.
“They are pledging for the future, yet we are experiencing the crisis right now. We want them to act now. We want solutions, not promises. We want implementations, not pledges. Their negotiations are running on how not to top 1.5, but 1.2 is already hell to us.”
– Patience Nabukalu, climate activist from Uganda
Demand Climate Action Now
Heal the Bay is committed to climate action, and believes we need bold global action now to combat the climate crisis, and for us, this starts at home. The United States has made plans and has entered agreements, yet our leaders continue to approve new oil drilling leases. LA is home to the largest urban oil field in the US. There are so many groups in Los Angeles and California fighting for climate action and environmental justice. One of those groups is VISION (Voices in Solidarity Against Oil in Neighborhoods). You can join VISION and submit your own comment letter today to fight against fossil fuels. Tell California Officials: No Drilling Where We’re Living!
Join VISION to call for:
- A 3,200-foot setback for new oil and gas wells
- No redrilling of existing wells within the 3,200-foot setback
- Ban all new permits within the 3,200-foot setback until the final rule is in effect
For more climate action tips and information, check out Heal the Bay’s Climate Challenge blog.
*The phrases ‘wealthier countries’ and ‘developing countries’ are used in the COP26 report and the Paris Agreement without definition. The lack of specificity in these classifications further highlights inequities in the global approach to solving climate change.
