THIS year’s climate summit in Glasgow is the world’s “best chance” to avert disaster, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.
The First Minister issued a rallying cry to global leaders ahead of the UN’s Cop26 event, which begins in October.
Speaking virtually at the fifth annual Austrian World Summit, she insisted the world’s developing nations must not be left behind as she demanded unified action to tackle global warming.
The SNP leader spoke on a panel including climate activist Greta Thunberg, German chancellor Angela Merkel and US climate envoy John Kerry.
“The climate crisis – with its inter-related threats of climate change, nature loss and pollution – remains the single biggest challenge the world faces,” Sturgeon said.
“Cop26 represents the world’s best chance – and possibly one of our last chances – to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.”
Scientists have warned that even a rise of that magnitude would threaten human health, livelihoods, food security, water supply and economic growth.
Good to see Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon join Greta Thunberg, German Chancellor Merkel, UN Secretary General Guterres and many other speakers at the Austria World Summit on #climateaction #AWS21🏴🇦🇹🌎 pic.twitter.com/UYA09jsvKi
— Angus Robertson (@AngusRobertson) July 1, 2021
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The First Minister continued: “One of the great injustices of the climate crisis is that the people and countries who are worst affected are usually those who have done least to cause it.
“At Glasgow, their needs must be recognised, and their voices must be heard. The Scottish Government is determined to help with that process.
“All of us – and governments in particular – now need to summon that same sense of urgency in tackling the climate crisis. If we do, Cop26 can become a global turning point – one which ensures that as we recover from the pandemic, we create a greener and fairer world.”
Cop26 will kick off in Glasgow on October 31 and last until November 12.
Ahead of the event, the Scottish Government announced funding for international projects, including £100,000 for the Global Climate Assembly – an initiative which brings together 100 participants from the global north and south to learn from each other, and to make recommendations which will feed into Cop26 discussions.
A further £190,000 is also being made available to support a fourth year of the Malawi Climate Youth Leaders Project, in recognition of the inter-generational impacts of climate change.
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