With COP26 looming, world can’t afford to stall progress on climate action

Three years ago, I was on the banks of the St. Lawrence, watching Cirque du Soleil perform for G7 leaders. It was a summit to remember for all sorts of reasons. Fast forward to 2021, and it’s our turn. The U.K. will be hosting the summit in June on the beautiful Cornish coast at Carbis Bay. The world has changed dramatically since then. A global pandemic has wrought havoc, millions have died, economies have been decimated, and extremism is on the rise. But as we turn the page on 2020, hope is on the horizon. Vaccine rollouts have started around the world, countries are stepping up and taking action to tackle climate change, and we all are more aware than ever that we can’t address any of the challenges on our own. As the U.K. takes its turn to lead the G7, we’re excited by the opportunities, if acutely aware of the scale of the challenges facing us all. We need to build on the lessons learned from COVID-19 to build back better—spreading prosperity, addressing inequality, and developing global resilience against future threats. As leaders gather on the Cornish coast this summer, they will be discussing how we can strengthen global health security and harness science, data, and innovation collaboratively to tackle future health risks. As G7 nations, we know our work will not be complete until everyone has fair and equitable access to vaccines and adequate health services. Yet, as the world focuses on finding a cure for COVID-19, a far more deadly threat faces us. Our planet is at a tipping point. If we don’t act now, we’ll never be able to stop the irreversible effects of climate change. Time has run out, and we cannot put off action any longer. We need to tackle the climate crisis with the same energy and urgency we brought to the pandemic response. The U.K.-hosted COP26 summit in Glasgow in November is an opportunity for countries to come together to take meaningful action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to keep global temperature rises well below 1.5 degrees Celsius. As G7 nations, we need to lead by example, ensuring fellow members achieve net zero by 2050 and protect 30 per cent of our land and seas by 2030. Is it achievable? Yes. Will it be easy? No. But together, it’s possible. We can do it through joint partnerships like the Powering Past Coal Alliance set up by Canada and the U.K. in 2017. Its aim is to move countries from coal production to cleaner sources of energy. We’re showing the way by phasing out production in just four years. Canada is on track to do the same by 2030, and over 30 countries have joined the alliance since 2017. U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to rejoin the Paris agreement on his first day in office is fantastic news—having the U.S. back at the table gives us a huge boost as we prepare for Glasgow. One thing I’ve learnt in my 30-plus years as a diplomat is that the best way to solve a problem is by working together. That’s what the G7 is all about, a group of democratic nations with shared values and priorities. There’s lots of criticism that dismiss these groups as mere talking shops, but in recent years, the G7 has stepped up to take concrete action on the biggest challenges of the day—cybercrime, the global financial crisis, and discrimination against women and girls. At the heart of the G7 are close partnerships, partnerships of trust and confidence, based on shared values. No relationship is closer than that between Canada and the U.K. It has never been better. Our shared values have allowed us to achieve more than we have ever done before, on human rights, media freedom, or gender equality. Our joint action has made a difference to millions of people around the world—standing up to oppression, calling out abuses, sanctioning those who commit them and taking concrete steps to counter disinformation and cybercrime. These values are at the heart of the G7 this year, as we work to promote and defend open societies, to champion free and fair trade, and to build resilience and health security across the globe. As I look ahead, I am quietly optimistic. After 2020, I would not dare to predict what this year will bring us. But I’m confident that working with our partners and allies, we’ll be in the best possible position to tackle the challenges together. And I hope that the entertainment in Carbis Bay lives up to that memorable evening in La Malbaie. Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque is the U.K. High Commissioner to Canada. The Hill Times CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the Powering Past Coal Alliance. The article was updated on Jan. 26 to reflect the accurate name.

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With COP26 looming, world can’t afford to stall progress on climate action

Our planet is at a tipping point. If we don’t act now, we’ll never be able to stop the irreversible effects of climate change.

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