Action 2. Sign this Petition to be delivered at COP 26
Petition
As plans are made to hold the COP 26 talks in Glasgow in 2021, we are collecting signatures from all over the world for this petition which will be delivered to the COP Presidency. It will demand that the round of talks do not end in the same manner as in recent years with, at best, incremental progress and a lack of ambition adequate to the science. That is a luxury we can no longer afford given the recent lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, which made all the loopholes all the more apparent.
The current COVID-19 crisis has shown clearly that governments can act decisively in a crisis if they choose to do so. While less immediate for many, the climate crisis is not going away and without urgent action could cause catastrophic harms.
Letter
Despite decades of scientific evidence and the all too obvious increasing climate impacts, current international pledges to cut emissions place us on track for around 3°C of warming. A recent scientific review made it starkly clear that we need to limit warming to 1.5°C to avoid the worst impacts of climate change
We therefore ask the COP presidency to ensure that these messages reverberate through the whole of the talks, that:
- All governments need to pledge to take urgent action in line with the 1.5°C goal and to put in place the legislation, policies and measures needed to achieve this at home and to work cooperatively at COP to find constructive, sustainable solutions to this global crisis
- Governments must use their leadership to find solutions that prioritise people, planet and ecosystems over profit, including pledges to phase out fossil fuels and to conserve and restore natural ecosystems
- Climate finance needs to be urgently and significantly scaled up for poor and vulnerable countries and communities on the frontline of the climate crisis
- Impoverished communities, women, children, indigenous people, migrants and refugees have historically generated a low carbon-footprint. Their contribution to the climate crisis is negligible yet they are amongst the most affected, making climate change a justice issue.
- Developed countries must take the lead in reducing their emissions and simultaneously support developing countries to leap-frog emissions-intensive infrastructure and economic development
The path to near zero carbon economy has begun but needs to be rapidly accelerated beyond the current speed, scope and depth. This requires broad policy responses from governments in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and the legislation, policies and measures to achieve near zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, globally.
In addition to phasing out fossil fuel investments and expanding more renewable energy sources, including for energy access for the poorest people, governments should also scale up investments in natural climate solutions, including ecosystem preservation and restoration. It is time to ramp up ambition in the areas of enacting policies and enforcing it to protect and restore natural ecosystems – they are the foundation of life on earth.
Agricultural systems too, have a role to play in this regard. For the millions of people who depend on agriculture, implementing climate-smart agricultural practice, including moving away from agro-chemical systems, and ending deforestation, restoring the natural carbon-storing capacities of forests, grasslands and wetlands will contribute to staying within the 1.5°C goal. We ask that Governments should put nature-based solutions at the heart of their NDCs.
There is no more time to lose, during these talks, let all governments be reminded that inaction effectively translate into innocent lives lost.
We the undersigned joined together to pray and Act all year long towards the COP 26 talks and strongly urge all governments and businesses to act together in the interest of people and planet.
