Time’s running short

Glasgow summit posts successes

The world has entered the decisive decade for confronting the climate crisis. Last week’s global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, has already helped summon more ambition to face this emergency than the world has ever seen. In that regard, the summit has already achieved success. We can still avoid a catastrophe, but time is running short.

On the plus side, countries representing almost 65% of global gross domestic product have stepped up to meet the goal of holding the rise in warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times.

India aims to build 450 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030, and the United States has agreed to partner with it in that effort. Major oil producers, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, are announcing stronger steps and zero-emissions goals.

And more than 100 nations representing 70% of the global economy have joined the pledge we initiated with the European Union to significantly reduce emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. Reducing methane emissions is the single fastest option we have to slow warming.

For its part, the United States rejoined the Paris climate agreement on President Joe Biden’s first day in office. This spring, the president went even further, pledging to reduce our emissions in line with the 1.5-degree limit and putting the United States on pace to meet the net-zero emissions deadline.

To get there, he laid out the most ambitious climate agenda in our history.

Fifty years ago, a moonshot defined the space race. Today, the Biden administration’s energy Earth shots will marshal innovation and investment in the next generation of technologies to produce a clean-energy revolution.

But while we have made progress in averting runaway warming, more needs to be done. A sizable gap remains in cutting global carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, which is critical to put the world on a realistic path to reach the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and avoid calamity.

Too many countries are still not doing enough. No country or region can overcome the climate crisis alone.

The massive technological transformations we need to save lives, improve health and protect our waters, land and air also present the greatest economic opportunity since the Industrial Revolution.

The private sector is forging ahead. Last year, wind and solar accounted for 90% of new electricity capacity in the world, and are now more often than not the cheapest power sources available. The world’s highest-valued car company only makes electric vehicles and many of its competitors are racing to keep up. Even steel and cement manufacturers are following suit.

After Glasgow, we all must remain committed to the ambitious goals and concrete actions required during this decisive decade. Countries must revisit their plans to ensure that they align with the global 1.5-degree goal. The private sector must redouble its efforts to reinvent our global economy.

Every single one of us needs to do our part. Shop climate-consciously. Ensure your employer invests in sustainability. Talk to your friends and neighbors about this issue, and support politicians who will address this crisis head on. This is the fight of our lives, and all of it matters.