What We Must Do for the Planet in the Wake of COP26
12 miles in the entire universe. That’s the thickness of the biosphere—the thin layer around the Earth that is the only place where we’re certain life exists. We cannot willfully destroy it and then wonder why we have nowhere safe and clean to live. And yet, that’s exactly what our world leaders did in Glasgow, Scotland this month.
Prior to COP26, I was hopeful that the intense coverage about natural disasters, the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the biodiversity and habitat loss that we’ve incurred over the past two years would resonate far and wide, loud and clear. Leaders would come together and recognize that now is the time for action, and to not act would be tantamount to condemning their nations to a bleak future. Nothing brings people together like a shared danger where cooperation is the only way to survive.
I’m proud of and inspired by the youth movement and the movement by countries around the world who are bearing the brunt of climate change while contributing least to its causes. They were in Glasgow in great numbers. Surely the leaders would have to listen and get something done. If nothing else, our world leaders would be shamed into action.
Instead, they walked away from Glasgow with nothing more than a statement that “next year we’ll get back together and do something.”
Here’s what should have happened at COP26, and now what businesses, local governments around the globe, nonprofits, NGOs, and citizens must do to fill the enormous leadership vacuum that exists on the international stage in the climate space. (This piece is focused on what U.S. businesses, local governments, and citizens must do because the U.S. is the geography I’m most familiar with and because we are one of the largest polluters on the planet.)
Take the word “should” out of our vocabulary
The road to disaster is paved with the word “should”. It does not assign responsibility. It doesn’t even signal a flimsy intention. “Should” says that we know exactly what we need to do but we’re not going to hold ourselves accountable to do anything. The word “should” is all over the COP26 agreements. It’s not that we should slash CO2 emissions in half over the next eight years. We must.
Our game plan must be rooted in cross-sector collaboration. Cities, states, and businesses must have plans with concrete steps to reach zero emissions, and then execute the plans. Nonprofits and NGOs with robust research have to make in-roads to work hand-in-hand with governments and businesses as partners. As citizens, employees, and volunteers, we have to roll-up our sleeves and bring sustainability into the core decision-making engine of every organization with which we’re involved. And when we collect wins and successes, we have to share our playbook with others through storytelling to inspire, inform, and educate.
Local governments, business, and citizens in four geographies can make a world of difference
The United States, Canada, Japan, and Western Europe have 12% of the global population and have spewed ~50% of the toxic greenhouse gases in the industrial age. Yet, leaders from these countries pointed their fingers at other countries at COP26. It’s criminal to play this game of “You Go First” when these countries are the wealthiest in the world and set no example for others with their actions. We have tremendous resources of money, innovation, and research. Local governments, businesses, nonprofits, and citizens in these countries must use their monetary and intellectual wealth to foster sustainability and and environmental justice. Our privilege is also a responsibility.
Vow to stop deforestation now and commit to rewilding
Leaders from 100 countries vowed to end deforestation by 2030. They’ve made commitments like this in the past and yet deforestation is accelerating. We know that rewilding spaces on land and in the sea will mitigate storms, absorb excess storm water to reduce flooding, clean the air, and provide green space that increases biodiversity and improves human health. we have to preserve what we have and reverse our natural losses now.
Use short-term thinking to our advantage
Government and businesses leaders can often be horribly short-sighted. Many times they are concerned only with the next election or the next quarter’s profits. Yet, when it comes to climate change, they’re giving themselves deadlines of 2070, almost 50 years in the future when none of them will be in power. If ever there was a time to focus on the climate work we need to do in the very near-term, it’s now:
- Reskill workers in coal and oil to clean energy.
- Fix the busted solar energy industry in states like Florida so that it’s a no-brainer for every home owner to install and activate them.
- Give tax incentives to businesses that become carbon neutral, and offer them the financing and expertise to get there.
- Create job programs to rehabilitate green spaces
- Transform vacant lots into microforests
- Make every roof a green roof
While COP26 was a massive disappointment, it showed us just how much needs to be done to save our planet and how little we can reply on global powers to do the work. Local governments, business, nonprofits, NGOs, and citizens must lead the way. It if has to be (and it does if we want to save the only home we have), then it’s up to we.