Alok Sharma, the president of COP26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference) has announced COP26 must spell the end of global coal power generation and permanently consign the polluting fossil fuel to history.
The threat of climate change
In a speech last week held outside Glasgow at the Whitelee wind farm, the COP26 President-Designate urged policymakers, businesses and individuals to “pick the planet” and help tackle the existential threat of climate change.
Alok Sharma drew attention to the negative impact of climate change with the occurrence of wildfires in the Pennies and floods in West Lothian. Alongside the rising level of pollution in the atmosphere.
Alok Sharma :“And if we do not act now, the science tells us these effects will become more frequent and more brutal. That we will witness a scale of global catastrophe, the likes of which the world has not seen, and quite rightly, future generations will hold us responsible.”
The urgency to address climate change
It is also indicated that we must demonstrate the same sense of urgency we are showing in our fight against coronavirus when it comes to tackling climate change.
In his speech, he stressed COP26 is the “world’s best chance of building a cleaner, greener future” and limiting rising global temperatures to 1.5°C. Mr Sharma said the government is planning for an in-person summit but was keen to highlight that the safety of delegates and the local community “will be paramount”.
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