The United Nations Conference on Climate Crisis will be held this Autumn in Glasgow. 

This means that 20,000 delegates including world leaders from across the globe will come here to Scotland to try and tackle changing climate. 

The decisions from this conference will essentially affect every single person around the globe. 

However, not everyone is optimistic about this event, because of the fact that a similar summit was held in Paris in 2015 where on the 12th of December the Paris Agreement which was signed by 175 countries. Since that time we have seen a lot of words, but not a lot of actions. In fact the US withdrew from this agreement under Donald Trump’s presidency. 

The responsibility of the decision-makers this year is massive, failing to set and achieve certain goals to tackle the climate crisis will mean the end of the civilization as we know it. Some people will say that I am a panic-maker and overvaluing the issue, but the facts are clear. Climate change is a problem beyond any national borders and the way our capitalist economy works is making our atmosphere warmer, which ruins fragile ecosystems all around the globe, which will potentially lead us to global hunger, natural disasters like hurricanes, and could even cause wars as countries struggle to find resources. 

All this is despite the fact that millions of people (especially from poorer countries) are already suffering and dying from changing climate.

To understand how important this summit is think about this:

In summer 2017 a number of leading scientists have claimed that we have at most three years to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Four years later we still see global growth in greenhouse emissions rising. No one can certainly say whether we have already passed the point of no return or whether we still have a chance for survival. 

Many people are saying that this might be our last chance and I absolutely agree with this statement.

In spite of this, all I see is dishonest greenwashing from governments and major company polluters. Recycled fabrics are a prime example of this. H&M makes their recycled clothes, but only 5% of all clothes are made of it. Primark advertises organic cotton but is promoting consumerism and fast fashion. If we want to be carbon neutral by 2050, banning plastic straws, promoting green jobs, all of this WILL NOT stop the climate crisis, we need major changes in our lives and in our economy if we want to stop the catastrophe. 

Climate activist Greta Thunberg made a very good point. We did not treat the COVID-19 pandemic as “New jobs in NHS” or “Vaccinations by 2050”, just like the global epidemic this issue needs the action of every single person and every single institution to beat the climate.

It is time to treat a crisis – like a crisis.

I want you to panic.