WHEN it comes to climate action, Boris Johnson’s Global Britain is far more slogan than substance. With the UK Government hosting the most important COP26 summit of the century in Glasgow in November, this is not a good look. Nor does it give the impression of being in charge or taking responsibility to secure real climate action from global leaders.

While the USA and China work to create consensus and co-operation on the most pressing and urgent crisis of our time, there’s a growing impression internationally that the UK is merely watching on from the back row, more spectator than vision-focused or proactive host.

Thanks to the work of heavyweights John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua, the USA and China’s respective climate envoys, the chances of a global deal on emissions look far more positive than previously expected and sets the tone for the Joe Biden-led Earth Day summit starting today, which the Chinese president will now attend.

It seems the world’s top emitters could be willing to put their nations’ differences to one side to co-operate on tackling climate change. This would be a powerful and symbolic move, asserting the Biden administration’s determination on climate issues, China’s recognition of the crisis with its carbon reduction goals, and preparedness to play their part despite serious geopolitical disagreements. And it sets the tone for big ambition matched with commitment for COP26.

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This is where the UK should come in, to bolster this focus and put diplomatic pressure on attending nations to up their game in terms of emissions targets. As COP26 host nation, the UK needs to be moving heaven and Earth between now and November to squeeze every last ounce of this willingness to collaborate and set out its stall on the big vision ahead of the summit.

But meanwhile back at the ranch, the UK president of COP26, Alok Sharma, is pushing against a closed door when it comes to the Johnson administration’s big picture on climate change. It’s two steps forward and one step back every day for Sharma as he battles to keep the UK’s reputation intact from the PM and his Government’s mixed messaging on coal mines, air taxes, green homes and slashing overseas aid budgets.

Even this week, when the UK Government announced its intention to meet the Climate Change Committee’s ambitious target of a 78% reduction on 1990 emissions levels by 2035, this pledge was regarded with scepticism by many doubting the “rhetoric” would in fact match “reality” (according to Ed Milliband, Labour’s shadow business secretary.)

When you’re faced with an emergency, slogans and promises are just not enough. The UK’s marginalisation on climate issues is compounded by this energised and laser-focused Biden-Kerry power team, determined to reverse the Trump climate denial years and fast forward to successful leadership on saving the planet, while building on a historic connection between Kerry and Zhenhua who collaborated successfully during the Obama years.

At the Earth Day summit today, Biden is expected to announce America’s Nationally Determined Contribution or NDC on emissions reduction and expectations are high that this will raise the bar considerably to recognise the dire emergency we face as a planet.

Biden is also expected to announce further funding measures to help developing countries overseas to mitigate, adapt and become more resilient to climate change. Again, the elephant in the room that is Johnson’s decision to cut overseas aid severely hampers the work of the UK COP team and president to assert their ownership of the summit in November.

Slashing development assistance also slashes diplomatic bargaining power and geopolitical relevance. Sharma carries some weight in his diplomatic efforts so far but he’s got his hands tied behind his back by Johnson’s unwillingness to recognise the seriousness of the situation.

Plus ca change.

It begs the question of who is in charge of this COP? Global giants China and America or Bystander Britain?

Scotland can step into this void of vision and make good on our pledge to make this the “People’s COP”. There’s never been a better time to get the people involved in making our climate ambitions a success, given the increased awareness and desire for action on this emergency across the generations.

Myriad polls, the recommendations from the Climate Assembly UK, and now Scotland’s Climate Assembly interim report, show civil society wants governments to take action, they want leadership and narratives to match success and radical transformation. We expect those who hold power to make this happen. Otherwise, what will we have left to pass on to our young people?

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THROUGH hard work and world-leading commitments the Scottish Government has already made, we have created a brilliant platform for transformational success and Scotland is in a unique position to push for purpose driven engagement at COP. We can offer essential para-diplomacy on the yawning gaps in the UK Government’s rhetoric, on climate justice, female representation and youth involvement for instance.

With our commitment to double the Climate Justice Fund we can demonstrate practically our global solidarity with countries in the South worst impacted by climate change and now the Covid-19 pandemic.

We could address the lack of female voices at the top level of e UK COP team in order to highlight the disproportionate impact on women and girls from climate change with a series of focused and action driven round table events between intergenerational, global female representatives at the Scottish Government COP Climate Hub.

And we should ensure that our young people, children, teenagers and older youth groups are given the opportunity to bring their concerns to the top table at COP so they can put pressure on and offer their solutions to leaders to save their futures.

This is about moving beyond slogan, it’s about more than just going through the motions, it’s about leadership and vision, the recognition that rhetoric must meet reality or we’re all going to be in a very bad place. Scotland is in a position to inject some goal driven hope and measurable action into the vacuum left by Number 10. Let’s not miss this chance.