ACP-UK Response to COP-26: World Leaders Have Failed Us
Throughout October, ACP-UK’s Climate Action Network had been tweeting about how the importance of a successful outcome at COP-26 cannot be understated[1]. The pledges made by world leaders at the Glasgow conference have been widely criticised as insufficient, putting the planet on course for 2.4oC warming by the end of the century[2], a figure far above the 1.5oC limit set within the Paris agreement. This level of warming would flood entire nations and result in the displacement of people at higher rates than ever seen before. There will be increased conflict over scarcer food and water supplies, and we will bear witness to multiple losses within our ecosystems and ways of life[3].
World leaders have failed us, whilst fossil fuel companies and those supporting continued extraction continue to act in harmful ways. But we cannot give up. Not if we value social justice, and not if we want a survivable planet for our children, those in nations who will be more acutely affected and the billions of non-human animals who also face extinction for a crisis they are not responsible for.
We need to support leaders to push further and further, and we must do a better job of engaging with the crisis as a profession.
Please see this list of actions clinical psychologists might take in relation to the climate crisis (produced by Annie Mitchell) and think about actions you might take. In October 2020, the ACP-UK released a position statement calling on the need for the profession to be active with regards the climate crisis which we encourage you to read. Please email [email protected] if you would like to join ACP’s Climate Action Network.
If you are a clinical psychologist interested in learning more about the Climate Action Network, please consider joining out open event on Wednesday 26 January 2022, 6-7.30pm. Further details to follow shortly.
[1] https://acpuk.org.uk/how-our-future-rests-on-cop26/
[2] https://climateactiontracker.org/publications/glasgows-2030-credibility-gap-net-zeros-lip-service-to-climate-action/
