"Pandemic, War, Politics Hamper Global Push For Climate Action"

"‘It is, at the end of the day, up to all countries to deliver on the commitments they’ve made,’ says the British official who oversaw last fall’s U.N. climate summit in Glasgow"

"The promises arrived at a rapid clip over two weeks in Glasgow last fall. There, along the banks of the River Clyde, leaders from nearly 200 nations vowed to do more — and move faster — to combat climate change.

They forged pacts to halt deforestation and cut emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Rich nations agreed to spend more to help vulnerable countries adapt. And in recognition that the world is still moving too slowly, leaders pledged to “revisit and strengthen” their climate goals within a year if possible — a much tighter timeline than in the past.

But nearly six months later, no large nation has come forward with a bolder climate plan, and none of the world’s top emitters has committed to doing so this year.

“What we have seen so far is very, very little,” said Niklas Höhne, a German climatologist who created the Climate Action Tracker, which monitors the commitments and policies of countries, and has rated virtually all of them insufficient. “I don’t see much movement.”"

Brady Dennis reports for the Washington Post May 2, 2022.

Source: Washington Post, 05/03/2022