COP 28

 

 

I do not profess to be an expert on climate change or an authority on sustainability.

 

What I do know, however, is that the ongoing Cop 28, has already inspired the world to wake up and take note, before it’s too late. We are running out of time, and that is a scary proposition.

 

If I am not an authority, then what right have I got to write on the subject? Let me answer myself – I have as many rights as anybody else in the world.

Today, i entreat you to join me and believe in the power of 1, and the realization, that every little drop, contributes to making an ocean.

 

 We must stand up and speak out, and the more people who do this – the better.

We are amid Cop 28 in the UAE, where many delegates, activists, observers, and leaders of countries have come together to save the planet and get us back on track.

 

 There is a clear message – unity is the need of the hour.

 

I guess the question on the mind of any discerning individual today is- what significance will Cop 28 achieve? We have had a similar conference  27 times to date with little progress to sure for them.

 

 We all know the problem, our planet is moving towards a breaking point, and leaders, multinationals, countries, you, and I must all get to work - fixing it.

 

Policies, conferences, memorandums, & and time frames are all fine. However, everybody wants to see a tangible difference.

 

 Till now, while the wheels have been in motion, progress has been slow.

 

The fact of the matter is that we are crawling when we should be sprinting, knowing fully well, that the consequences of lethargy will be disastrous.

 

Developing countries that did the least to cause the problems are suffering the most, with the climate crisis hitting their economies, and causing widespread suffering.

 

The earth is warming, greenhouse gases are increasing, polar ice is melting, rainfall patterns are changing, and sea levels are rising. There has been an increase in heatwaves, floods, droughts, famines, and fires. Are these not ominous signs?

 

However, it has been most heartening to see, over the last few days, how countries have opened their purse strings and promised large sums of money for various causes – we do hope they follow through on their promises, for the betterment of our planet.

The cost of climate action is in trillions – however, the cost of climate inaction will be in the hundreds of trillions – the choice is ours.

 

The UAE has committed to launching several initiatives, to support the goals of Cop 28, and foremost among them is the ‘green education initiative’ - to prepare a platform for future generations, to lead a climate action path.

It aims to educate children and youth and help them adapt, and address, the repercussions of climate change.

 

It believes that our children should not have to pay the price for political bickering and inaction.

 

The gems road to the Cop 28 conference empowers our students with the knowledge and skills required to actively engage in the global decisions made on environmental issues. It provides a platform for our students, to explore the intersection of entrepreneurship and the environment, fostering leadership and creating valuable learning experiences.’

 

In Gems, we have started to rethink the approaches to curriculum, linking teaching and learning with awareness about the environment. Everybody knows that there are no simple solutions. But as a starting point, we are ensuring that students and school communities are made aware of the problems and possible solutions because education is the tool for creating sustainable solutions for the future of our planet.

 

For this, we are partnering with schools in different parts of the world.

 

It should be known that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has explicitly affirmed children’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

 

This is the first cop where education is at the forefront, and that should fill us with optimism.

 

We must strive to get climate education right.

Countries are being asked to continue to promote child rights and climate actions. Very often, as individuals, we look at the lethargy of large world organizations, and say to ourselves “if they are so slow, what chance have we got - but I truly believe that we must not give up – we must help cop 28 succeed.

 

We hope and pray that as Cop 28 draws to a close there will be more deals and agreements at that will make a real difference.

 

That governments will stop taking baby steps when large, bold strides are needed.

 

That the rich countries will continue to put real money on the table and realize that scraps won't do any longer.

 

Finance is a great enabler, and money needs to flow in torrents, not trickles to developing countries, to boost climate resilience.

Education transformation is the catalyst for climate action. You get the education right, and things will begin to fall into place - it’s a mindset change.

 

Who knows- teaching may become the biggest green job of our time.