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COP26 gets off to an ominous start

Monday, 01 November 2021 11:38 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 01 November 2021 11:38 PM ]

Saeed Pourreza
Press TV, Glasgow

Keep fossil fuels in the ground: protesters outside the venue of the UN summit on climate change, giving world leaders a taste of what's to come in the coming days.

Small protests have gotten under way at the same time as the summit, all to send a clear message to those in power: the time for words is up, we want some action and we want it now.

The biggest of the protests is expected on the weekend and it'll be joined by renowned activist Greta Thunberg.

A look at the most recent extreme weather events around the world supports that sense of urgency: from the bushfire in Australia, to the heatwave in icy Canada, to the forest fires in Turkey, to the floods that hit India and Europe earlier this year.

Some of the world's biggest polluters, such as the US, China and Europe have set ambitious targets for the next 30 years to keep global warming in check. The protesters say setting goals is one thing, implementing them is another.

It's already clear from the G20 summit in Italy that no matter what is agreed at COP26, global temperatures will continue to rise, affecting some communities more than others.

Six years since the landmark Paris Climate accord and the stakes have never been higher, and these protesters say, we can't have our leaders cop out.

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