Sarah Storer
The world was shocked last month following the IPCC’s special report on global warming.
The planet is moving to a rapid and irreversible temperature rise of 1.5c. We are already starting to see the effects of this, with devastating wildfires in Greece and Turkey and more countries recording their highest ever temperatures.
World leaders now have to set examples for the planet. It must become a joint effort to slow down the rising temperatures. There have been attempts in the past; from the Kyoto Protocol in 1995 and more recently, the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Now in October, the UK will host COP26 in Glasgow, to further ratify slowing down Global Warming.
Alok Sharma’s Travels
Months before the summit begins, the UK Government drew some criticism both from the Media and Environmentalists. Earlier this month, Alok Sharma, President for COP26 and Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, was reported to have flown to 30 countries since February.
Places he flew to included France and Belgium – easily accessible via train – and places as far away as Japan and Indonesia. The Guardian states all 30 trips are equivalent to flying “eight times around the Earth”.
Travel is a vital part of Sharma’s job. As the purpose of each trip was not published, it is unclear which of these trips were business and if any were leisure. Yet this will not stop the public from questioning whether any business trips were necessary.
Every country has different laws regarding travel during the pandemic. We also do not know if Sharma had to quarantine following each trip. Surely video conference calls are much safer and an environmentally-friendly way of working?
Planes vs Trains
Both the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition have also drawn criticism for their choice of travel. Boris Johnson flew to Cornwall from London for the G7 Summit. A key part of the summit focused on climate change ahead of the upcoming COP26.
It is easy to see why Johnson chose to fly over taking the train – a 50 minute flight versus a five hour train journey. But data also suggests the flight may have produced 97.6kg of greenhouse gas per passenger. A train journey, on the other hand, produces 17.8kg.
Keir Starmer flew from London to Edinburgh in April during campaigning for local elections. His choice to fly rather than utilise one of the many daily trains between the two cities drew criticism from leaders of the Scottish Green Party. The party now have the upper hand over Scottish Labour since entering into coalition with the SNP.
Despite the emphasis on a so-called ‘Green Labour,’ voters will continue not to view Starmer as a serious opposition if he continues to make the same irrational decisions as Johnson. By not setting an example to the public, Johnson and Starmer allow for the continuous lazy effort in reducing our carbon footprint.
Future climate decisions
Whilst Johnson and Starmer take unnecessary flights around the UK, their respective Environment Ministers create greener schemes for the rest of the country. Bans on plastic, congestion charges, paper straws all give the public the satisfactory feeling of helping the environment. But these efforts are small in the grand scheme of things. Real change can only come from the government, but with announcements of new coal mines or the continued production of HS2, it is impossible to see it ever happening.
Even though the government eventually intervened in the production of a new coal mine in Cumbria, it was only after waves of backlash forced them into it. A question that should be asked is why it was ever announced in the first place. The coal mine, alongside the development of HS2, demonstrates how climate change has never been at the forefront of their minds.
Instead, it acts as a newer business opportunity; damaging the country’s ecosystem for a profit. To those at the top, profit comes before ensuring the safety of others.
The world will be watching the UK closely during COP26. World leaders, especially Johnson, need to ensure they take the right path in resolving any lasting damage to our planet.
Photo courtesy of Markus Spiske on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
sarahstorer
Sarah has recently graduated from Newcastle University with an MA in International Multimedia Journalism. When she’s not editing the Opinions Section, you can find her at the cinema or on the beach with her dog.