The last few days have marked the “previous” of what will be COP 25 in our country. The United Nations Climate Summit in New York, the IPCC session in Monaco, where the Special Report on Oceans and The Rocket sphere was finalized, together with citizen demonstrations around the world led by young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, account for of the urgent need to respond to what the planet claims: it is time to take action to deal with the climate emergency.
The latest reports from UN experts indicate that the current contributions announced by countries are far from the objectives of the Paris Agreement. As we go, according to IPCC experts, we completely move away from the required 45% emission reduction by 2030 to keep the temperature rise below 1.5oC. By contrast, greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow at a rate of almost 2% per annum, and if not acted on quickly, thermometers could rise to 3oC.
Today, countries’ lack of climate ambition is at the heart of public debate and the deadlines for stabilizing the atmospheric and climate system are about to expire. As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, are we losing the fight against climate change?
With a view to the COP 25 summit, the UN handed over the flags of exceptional leadership in the region to Chile. In this regard, President Sebastián Piñera launched an Alliance for Climate Ambition in New York, which calls on countries to commit to updating Nationally Determined Contributions and adopting plans to reach carbon neutrality 2040. 66 countries have already joined, but convincing them all is no easy task.
This is a foretaste of what will be lived in COP 25, in a world aligned between those who believe science and skeptics of the real threat that climate change means to the planet. Given their economic and political interests, many governments and world leaders are unwilling to adhere to more ambitious emission reduction targets. And what about the United States or China, countries that President Piñera waged for being engaged in a trade war, totally unrelated to issues so crucial to the future of humanity.
To be sure, COP 25 will be a major milestone in validating a roadmap aimed at more ambitious climate action ahead of the Glasgow( Scotland) summit in December 2020, which will approve new contributions that can limit warming. For Chile, it will be an unbeatable opportunity that will allow it to position itself, not only as a host, but as a leading player to advance the agreements required to meet the commitments made in the Paris Agreement.
The future is being discussed today. It’s time to act and put a stop to the planet’s temperature. Otherwise, future generations will not forgive us for the catastrophic legacy of extreme weather events that the scientific world warns.
The content poured into this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.
