Is there enough action on climate change?

Is there enough action on climate change?  In the third of my posts on what I think are the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.  Climate change is the last but certainly not least of these.  In 2015 I cycled to Paris to lobby the world’s governments.  The agreement was much better than we hoped or prayed for.  Nevertheless is it enough?  It commits countries to do something, but not in a legally binding way.  Countries have pledged cuts but these cuts would not keep the temperature rise by 2050 to below 2°C.  They would lead to an increase in global temperatures.  There would also not be enough of government action.  We really need governments to regulate and the private sector to innovate.

On the positive side renewable energy costs/electric vehicle costs and battery costs continue to fall.  Governments other than the US remain officially committed.  Growth of wind and solar continues apace. Institutional investors continue to divest from fossil fuels, most recently the Church of England.  The European oil companies have pledged cuts in carbon emissions.  (Perhaps these last two sentences are somehow related).  Electric cars sales are growing very strongly in Europe.

The problem is governments are too cowardly to act.  Targets are always a long way off.  At the moment the Scottish Government is musing whether to pledge a 100% reduction by 2050 or a 90% reduction in emissions.  They are tempted by the lower one but lobbying including from my church is going on.

Is there enough action on climate change?  Not at the moment.  If you care then lobby politicians in your country and continue to make changes to your lifestyle.  All our futures depend on it.

Neil