The world is on fire - do we really need another meeting?

Of:

Staffan Lindberg

Published: Yesterday 22.27 

 

This is a commentary text. Analysis and positions are the writer's. 

 

COLUMNISTS

 

Fifty years have passed since the first major UN environmental meeting was held in Stockholm. 

 

Now the same number of years of failures will be celebrated - with another meeting. All while the earth is burning. This week's major UN meeting - Stockholm + 50 - has been painted as an opportunity to speed up climate work. 

 

Few learn to have objections, after a spring of ringing research alarms. 

 

In India, sidewalks (smälter trottoarerna) are melting and birds are falling from the sky.

 

In Iraq, lake after lake ( sjö efter sjö.) is being wiped out.

 

Emissions of greenhouse gases continue to increase(fortsätter att öka), at a time when they need to decrease rapidly and according to the UN's climate panel IPCC, we now have only three years to turn the corner if we are to have the opportunity to limit warming to 1.5 degrees 

 

- and avoid a climate catastrophe. So why does it feel like something is wrong with the summit? 

 

Contemplate Olof Palme's speech at the first major UN conference in Stockholm in 1972: 

 

 "I am sure we can find solutions. But it is absolutely necessary to act jointly and internationally. It is really, very, very urgent. ” 

 

 

Excerpt from Olof Palme's speech in 1972. 

 

It does not take much imagination to put the same word in the mouth of any of the speakers at this week's meeting. 

 

As UN chief António Guterres. 

 

Or our Swedish Minister of the Environment Annika Strandhäll. 

 

The purpose of Stockholm + 50 is said to be to "celebrate" the fifty years that have passed. 

 

The truth is that there is nothing to celebrate. The first meeting resulted in a declaration with principles of environment and development. They have not been complied with. The fifty years that have passed since the promising early summer days in Stockholm have been marked by climate and environmental meetings. At times, they have appeared successful, as in 2015 in Paris when the countries of the world agreed to strive to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. But seven years later, not a single one of the world's major emitting countries is living up to its promises. 

 

Not China. Not the United States. Not Sweden.

 

No. 

 

Only six months have passed since the UN climate summit COP26 in Glasgow. Equally little remains for COP27 in Egyptian Sharm el-Sheikh. 

 

Before the over one hundred environment ministers, UN chief Antonio Guterres and the American climate envoy John Kerry flew into business estates and private jets (several young climate activists from countries that emit the least and are most affected wait in vain for Schengen visas at Swedish embassies) and rolled on in their procession through Stockholm's blocked streets, someone should have asked if we really need another huge environmental meeting. 

 

Or if we already know enough to shop. 

 

In the worst case, this type of climate conference - with its leadership dialogues and non-binding declarations to accelerate the phasing out of fossil energy - risks serving another purpose. To cover up failures and alleviate climate anxiety. Create the illusion that at least something is happening, fifty years after Olof Palme's warning words. 

 

- Politics must step forward and show leadership, says Annika Strandhäll, climate minister in one of the world's richest countries, to TT. 

 

All the while the petrol tax is reduced and the Arctic ice melts away.

Världen brinner – behöver vi verkligen ännu ett möte?

Publicerad: I går 22.27

Detta är en kommenterande text. Analys och ställningstaganden är skribentens.

KOLUMNISTER

Femtio år har gått sedan det första stora FN-miljömötet hölls i Stockholm.

Nu ska lika många år av misslyckanden firas – med ännu ett möte.

Allt medan jorden brinner.

Veckans stora FN-möte – Stockholm+50 – har målats ut som en möjlighet att skynda på klimatarbetet. Få lär ha invändningar, efter en vår av ringande forskarlarm.

I Indien smälter trottoarerna och fåglar ramlar ner från himlen.

I Irak utplånas sjö efter sjö.

Utsläppen av växthusgaser fortsätter att öka, i en tid när de snabbt behöver minska och enligt FN:s klimatpanel IPCC har vi nu bara tre år på oss att vända kurvan om vi ska ha möjlighet att begränsa uppvärmningen till 1,5 grader – och undgå en klimatkatastrof.

Så varför känns det som om något skaver med toppmötet?

Begrunda Olof Palmes tal på den första stora FN-konferensen i Stockholm 1972:

”Jag är säker på att vi kan hitta lösningar. Men det är helt nödvändigt att agera gemensamt och internationellt. Det är verkligen väldigt, väldigt bråttom.”

Utdrag ur Olof Palmes tal 1972.