Global leaders issued urgent warnings on Monday at the opening of the climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, emphasizing that the summit represents a last chance to save the world from this devastating phenomenon that could submerge entire cities. Representatives from 200 countries are gathering in Glasgow for two weeks to negotiate emissions reductions that ultimately lead to climate change, a phenomenon that has made natural disasters more severe in recent years.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is hosting COP26, stated that the doomsday clock is ticking, and that the engines and pumps through which carbon is released into the atmosphere are causing significant harm to the planet and rapidly increasing temperatures. He said, "We have listened to the scientists, and we must not ignore them. With temperatures rising more than two degrees Celsius, we risk food production, and locusts will swarm us. If temperatures rise by more than three degrees Celsius, the number of hurricanes, floods, droughts, and heatwaves could increase."
He continued: "If temperatures rise by more than four degrees Celsius, entire cities like Alexandria, Shanghai, Miami, and others could be lost under the waves." Johnson remarked, "The more we fail to take appropriate measures, the worse the situation will become, and we will have to pay a heavy price. Humanity has used up its time, and it is time to confront climate change." He noted that industrial countries had been oblivious to the problem and that there is a duty to change. He referred to the Paris Agreement, which has not been adhered to, stressing the importance of reducing reliance on coal due to its dangers regarding global warming and climate change.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the six years following the Paris climate agreement have witnessed the highest temperatures in history. He added at COP26 that reliance on fossil fuels is pushing humanity towards the abyss. He continued: "It is time to end our dependence on carbon and rely on nature to dispose of our waste. Our planet is changing from the oceans to the mountains to extreme natural phenomena."
Guterres stated that in the best-case scenarios, temperature will rise by more than two degrees Celsius, and we are facing an unavoidable climate disaster. He called for investment in a zero-emission economy, indicating that the proposals from countries regarding carbon neutrality are extremely important. He warned that failure to confront climate change would amount to a death sentence for Earth's inhabitants.
