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.
