Why we are making progress on climate action even after a tough year

The warfare successful Ukraine has encouraged a unreserved to exploit much fossil fuels, but determination are inactive affirmative signs of clime enactment up of the COP27 clime acme successful Egypt

Environment 26 October 2022

By Michael Le Page

Andrea Ucini

BENEATH grey skies successful China’s Sichuan province, a fighter jet-like drone prepares to instrumentality off. Its mission: to merchandise metallic iodide into the ambiance successful a scientifically dubious effort to trigger rainfall and assistance combat a drought associated with the worst heatwave the satellite has seen since records began. A fewer 1000 kilometres to the west, meanwhile, authorities successful Pakistan state a “climate-induced humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions” – caused not by a deficiency of rain, but by acold excessively overmuch of it, resulting successful deadly floods.

The events of conscionable 1 time – 25 August 2022, to beryllium nonstop – are stark grounds of our caller clime reality. Never person the dangers of planetary heating been truthful terrifyingly obvious.

Yet successful presumption of planetary action, we are successful galore ways going backwards. It is simply a twelvemonth since representatives from astir 200 countries met astatine the COP26 clime acme successful Glasgow, UK. Key commitments made determination haven’t been kept, partially due to the fact that of the vigor situation triggered by the Russian penetration of Ukraine. There is small crushed to anticipation that adjacent month’s COP27 summit, successful Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, volition alteration overmuch either.

But excavation a small deeper and determination are immoderate encouraging signs. Renewable sources of powerfulness are much economically competitory than ever. Sales of electrical vehicles are taking off. Even the existent vigor crisis, which has sparked a dash for fossil fuels this year, whitethorn yet assistance velocity up the cleanable vigor transition. Although it is casual to beryllium pessimistic astir clime alteration policy, is determination country for a small optimism astir the future?

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