Climate Disaster Could Make Covid Feel Like A Mere Blip

Climate summits like Cop26 are a test of leaders’ mettle. As a former head of state and a UN climate envoy, I know the pressure they will be under in Glasgow, but also the power they have to make lasting, positive change at a time of crisis.

- Mary Robinson

In every corner of the globe, the climate crisis is definitely upon us. We have even seen trains taking delegates and activists to Glasgow for the Cop26 climate summit being cancelled due to extreme heavy rain in the north of England.

All of this is proof that radical climate action is urgently needed, and that leaders must step up and face their responsibilities in Glasgow. Six years ago, real ambition and leadership was shown at Cop21 in Paris, but we remain dangerously off track from meeting those commitments to keep global temperatures to 1.5C.

The Glasgow summit should have taken place last year, but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This postponement was understandable, but makes it even more important now for heads of state and ministers to act with real urgency.

We are standing on the precipice of a climate catastrophe. Unless Cop26 delivers a meaningful pathway to closing the emissions gap and seriously funding climate adaptation efforts, the consequences will make the pandemic feel like a mere blip.