The G7’s pledges and promises must be turned into action
Headlines around the world are quite rightly full of the G7 Summit’s decision to step up action on climate change and a renewed pledge to raise $100 billion dollars a year to help poor countries cut emissions.
As someone who was among the first to start an energy efficiency company in the UK – more than 22 years ago – I am always delighted to see a renewed international focus on the environment.
Our Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who hosted the three-day meeting in Cornwall, said: We were clear this weekend that action needs to start with us.” And addressing Sunday’s meeting by video, the renowned British broadcaster Sir David Attenborough said the decisions facing the world’s richest countries were “the most important in human history.”
But what really disappoints me about the politicians is that so often it’s mostly talk and grand gestures and, despite what the leaders of the most advanced countries in the world might pledge and promise, there’s little detail on how we’re actually going to deliver the change.
I appreciate that funding from Governments is a major contributor, but the fact is we are in desperate need of a workable, detailed strategy so that each and every one of us can not only do our bit for the environment but fully understand the message behind it. A major challenge is to remove the huge obstacles that stand in the way of delivering this plan.
I guess I can only speak for the UK, but there are simply too many levels of government to get things done quickly: there’s central government at the top right down to the grass roots of parish councils. Without clear guidance, there’s little wonder it can sometimes take an age to reach a decision.
But more than that I see three other factors at play that are standing in the way of the progress we need to make.
Firstly, the truth is there are too many commercial interests tied up in preserving the status quo. At Ecolution, we are speaking to new clients every day who are increasingly committed to playing their part in saving our planet and see the benefit of making their organisations more energy efficient. Sadly, there are still far too many organisations unwilling to adopt the necessary changes because it doesn’t yet fit their business model. They must change.
Secondly, there’s good old Nimbism, not in our backyard. The leading economic countries, the UK, US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Italy, are keen to make pledges of support to the world’s developing countries to help them make changes but they cannot preach one thing and do the exact opposite. The world’s dirtiest major fuel, coal, is a case in point. Over the weekend the G7 countries have offered $2.8bn to help poorer nations stop using the fuel while they, particularly the US, remain highly dependent on mining.
Thirdly, I think there are too many people that have enjoyed a world and a lifetime of ‘fossil fuels’ and just do not want to change! If nothing else the G7 is showing – for all its limitations – more gets done with collaboration.
There’s little doubt 2021 presents the UK with a unique opportunity to not only keep climate change at the front of people’s minds but to also demonstrate its intention to lead from the front.
As well as the G7 summit, the UK is hosting the UN’s next international climate conference COP 26 in Glasgow in November. I’m keen we keep the pressure on our leaders to ensure they actually deliver on what they say they will. Everyone must be on the same page or else too much of what we need to do to tackle the climate change emergency will be lost through the cracks.
Kevin K