Pictured: Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
Over the last weekend women leaders from around the world took a leading role in encouraging and pleading with leaders from major countries to take climate change seriously and to make strong commitments to meet 2050 targets of net emissions.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley urged large, high emitting countries to take their share of responsibilities, as Barbados and other island nations are vulnerable to global warming.
The words ‘Climate Genocide’ were used to describe what is becoming an increasingly fraught argument between smaller, more vulnerable, countries and countries such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. These countries were named as threatening world survival of so many nations, with their refusal to commit to lowering emissions. These countries have made no new pledges.
Mia Mottley stressed the importance of governments creating the enabling environment to move away from fossil fuels, and into renewable energy sources.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was not invited to the summit as Australia is not believed to have climate policies that go far enough.
Finland, with its Prime Minister Sanna Marin, has committed to climate neutrality by 2035, and plans negative net emissions soon after. She spoke at the summit, committing to the following program: “We commit to sustainable food systems and the fight against biodiversity loss. Renewable energy, nature-based solutions, circular economy, innovation, and digital transformation are all key areas in Finland’s climate action. And finally we commit to sharing our experiences to facilitate the global green transition. By committing ourselves to a climate dialogue, we can build a common green future for our children and their children.”
A Sudanese youth advisor to the UN secretary general, Nisreen Elsaim, spoke of the need for a co-ordinated global effort that could avoid the worst of the impacts of a climate crisis for developing nations.
Nisreen went on to speak powerfully for the marginalised peoples of the world who will suffer the greatest impact if all countries do not agree to lower emissions now.
‘It is our only hope’ said Nareen. ‘Young people will rewrite history’.
How exciting to see those countries who are committed to the future of the planet, when other countries, including Australia, are still lagging seriously behind.
Equally heartening is to know that elsewhere 400 climate leaders have launched a campaign calling for greater accountability and transparency on gender equality ahead of next year’s Climate Change conference. They are calling for equal leadership roles in the COP26 leadership team for women, where at present those leadership roles are dominated by men.
Ref: Madeleine Hislop, Women’s Agenda
This article has been prepared for information purposes only and is not legal advice. For legal advice regarding your specific circumstances, please contact WR Law directly on (03) 5499 6131 or by email at admin@wrlaw.com.au
