COP-26: Credible action an absolute must

Anywhere around 20,000 heads of State, diplomats and climate activists will be converging at COP-26 in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31 through November 12 to discuss the new targets for cutting emissions from burning coal, oil and gas to prevent average global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with levels before the Industrial Revolution.

This 1.5 degrees is the threshold beyond which scientists feel global warming would go out of hand. Result? Well, heat waves, water shortages, crop failures and ecosystem collapse etc., neither in that order nor in isolation. The danger is in the combined destructive force of all these inevitabilities. We should not forget that the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 by nearly 200 countries in a ground-breaking move. Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement but the US joined back the same under President Joe Biden. Each and every world leader would be watched carefully due to their increased responsibility now. India has a major role in this context as it, along with China, is key to the fight.

The Indian government has assured full support to the UK COP Presidency for the meaningful outcome of COP and said that the upcoming COP-26 should be the COP of action and implementation. There are several unresolved issues of the Paris Agreement Rule Book, long-term climate finance, market-based mechanisms, etc., and these should be addressed forcefully and with the greatest commitment. World would also be keenly watching India's commitment to cutting emissions faster and deeper.

We have heated the planet by 1.1 degrees Celsius already since the 19th century. We just have 10 more years to reduce emissions enough to keep the planet below 1.5 degrees of warming. We have Japan and Australia singing a different tune on fossil fuels. The countries that want to postpone their commitment or reforms should not forget that those are not living in a cocoon. There is no safety net around them.

Anyone who thinks that he can live in isolation as nothing much has changed for him or that what happens in a corner would not happen to him is a fool. The climate disasters are not going to spare anyone. Only committed global cooperation against climate change could save humanity. We want to become extinct like the dinosaurs we could. But it was not the fault of the dinosaurs then. It was more of a collision with an asteroid that is said to have caused the wipe out. But, we have chosen to collide with nature everywhere and bring disaster upon ourselves.

Just look at what happens if the targeted goal is not achieved. It's projected that if we don't avoid 2 degrees of warming, 153 million people will die from air pollution alone. That is the equivalent of 25 Holocausts. Of course, we all had been busy dealing with a different God particle – Coronavirus – these two years. It is the worst nightmare to stalk us in recent times. We are coming out of it thanks to some inventions in the medicine field. Is there any way to escape from the immense heatwaves? Uncontrolled floods, wildfires etc. That's mildly put. Look at the faces of the young ones in your families and answer the question.