Elephant In The Room: Climate Crisis On World’s Agenda 

Less than a week is left for the United Nations Climate Action Summit, which will gather upon the call of the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. At the summit which is expected to be attended by state leaders and non-governmental actors especially in the private sector, leaders will announce concrete steps to increase climate action. From civil society to public as well as the private sector and the citizens, it is critical for the good of the planet to keep our eyes on the summit this week.

The news is unpleasant. We are fed up with hopeless news. We are all now inclined to wake up to good news and follow promising developments. It is difficult to face the facts then focus on what we can do and transform without losing hope. But the good news is that the new generation is very powerful and equipped. We will have a lot to learn from them, as long as we can manage to open up space and put our egos and positions aside.

2500 climate strikes will be held in 117 countries on the 20th of September just before the Climate Summit. Millions of people are expected to participate in these climate strikes. Also, between September 20-27, a total of 3615 events will be held in 1637 cities. Isn’t it promising itself to see this enormous participation?

Starting this week, one of the most important issues that will be discussed on the global agenda for the next two weeks will be climate change and climate actions. Especially in the European press, it is possible to find many articles, news and content on the subject. Though in the mainstream and alternative media in Turkey there is a surprisingly deep silence prevails. Apart from the social media posts and efforts of a small number of people, I could not see any significant analysis, evaluation or comments. Maybe I just missed them.

So what will happen next week?

On the one hand, the UN Climate Action Summit will be held on September 23, and on the other hand, millions will go on a global climate strike on September 20. At the same time, New York climate week is beginning and important announcements are expected to be made by many organizations.

When the issue of climate is on the agenda, the word we hear most is “critical”. So why is the Summit critical? In terms of the objectives of the Paris Agreement. In 2020, countries are required to update their commitments under the terms of the agreement. Recent scientific reports reveal that time is getting narrower and the 1.5 degree target is critical. The IPCC Land report (IPCC Arazi raporu), which was shared with the public on August 8 with the name “One and a Half Degree”, reveals the effects of climate change on issues such as soil, agriculture and food security.

The data in the report on Turkey is very striking. Global average temperatures exceeded the 1°C threshold compared to the pre-industrial period. The average temperature increase of 1.5°C have been already exceeded in Turkey. This temperature rise and global climate change is further increasing the risk of drought and desertification in Turkey with each passing day. Turkey is getting closer and closer to being a water-poor country every year.

It is predicted that the amount of water per person, which is approximately 1,500 cubic meters now, will decrease to 1,100 cubic meters in 2030, and it may decrease to 700 cubic meters in 2040s. You can access the full report from the link above.

State leaders, in particular, are expected to reveal plans with steps to prevent this global crisis as soon as possible and keep the global temperature rise at the 1.5 degree border by 2030. 

Experts say that the climate plans (National Intentional Contribution Statements) presented before the Paris Agreement are quite far from this goal (uzağında olduğunu söylüyor.).

What Will Happen at the Summit? What Is to Look Forward To?

• At least 60 countries are expected to attend the summit and announce their new plans.
• There were reports in the world press that the leaders of the countries that do not offer concrete plans will not be recognized. In this context, it is stated that many countries including UK, China, France, Germany, India, Russia, Chile and Finland will make announcements so far.
• According to the news in Climate Home News on September 11, UN’s expectations are high especially from China. The UN expects a statement from China on the 2050 decarbonization target.
• Germany has also announced that it would make an important announcement before the summit in Germany. At the opening of the IAA auto show in Frankfurt, Angela Merkel expressed that transportation is the problem child of Germany when it comes to climate action. Merkel announced that the government coalition will announce a large climate action package on September 20.
• EU countries will also announce that they will reveal their plans for 2030/2050 by 2020 (açıklayacaklar.). The European Commission announced in its press release that they will continue to lead the global fight against climate change.
• At the summit, where positive developments are expected in financing, it is stated that many leaders will increase their contribution to the Green Climate Fund, which has transferred $ 5 trillion USD to 102 programs and projects since 2015. The UK, France and Germany have already announced that they have doubled their contributions to the fund.
• The companies that are the most important perpetrators of this warming are also expected to take responsibility at the summit. More than 70 multinational companies will announce their plans compatible with 1.5 degrees. The companies will present their plans to the UN on 21-22 September.
• The discussions of the IPCC Seas report will start in Geneva on 20 September. Texts leaked from the report, which will be released to the public on September 25, show that the marine ecosystem has also suffered serious damage due to global warming and that serious social and economic impacts have begun to emerge.

Who Will Attend The Summit?

• India, China, EU, UK, France and Germany will send their senior representatives to the summit.
• China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Special Representative for Climate Change will attend the summit.
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also attending the summit despite the Brexit controversy in the country.
• Apart from this, private sector leaders and civil society leaders are also expected to attend the summit. Representatives of important sectors such as finance, energy, transportation, and heavy industry will announce their zero-emission targets.

Especially the decarbonization plans to be announced by oil and gas companies, are hotly anticipated (bekleniyor.). You can follow the developments in this area here. (buradan)

Leaving despair aside, we can follow the targets that the private sector and governments will bring to the agenda. As consumers, we are very strong. We need to remember this power from time to time. The more we demand with the transportation and production of clean products, the more the sector will grow and develop in this direction. No individual or institutional work on this issue is wasted. We can now see that neither public institutions nor civil society remain indifferent to the needs and orientations of consumers, that is to us.

Individuals, journalists, non-governmental experts who work in this field, can reach the top announcements live on September 23, on The World Resource Institute website. The link is here. (burada)

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