Climate change is the leading agenda in Davos 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF). While that may be one of the leading causes for several activists around the globe, particularly Greta Thunberg, the cause does not make it to the list of priorities of businessmen and government officials despite the increase in natural disasters in the last year. Greta Thunberg and critic President Donald Trump once again found themselves at different extremes of the debate with President Trump completely dismissing the existence of the phenomenon and declared the environmental activism as thoughts of fear and doubt.
Despite agenda setting, if leaders of the world are failing to recognise the issue then the chances of reviving the Earth’s environment are a bare minimum. Several countries across the globe are facing the wrath of climate change – with ice caps melting, animals losing their habitats, vast fires, flash flooding and earthquakes. If research and experts are to be ignored, the debate regarding climate change will always be about whether or not such a phenomenon exists, instead of being about fixing climate change.
Greta in her opening speech reprimanded global leaders for failing to meet the goals set in Davos last year. If promises are not kept, countries across the globe will face the wrath of climate change. It is a transnational issue and Pakistan is also one of the countries that are going to be adversely affected by it. Each attending party must pledge to protect the environment, reduce their carbon footprint in the environment, and make environment-friendly policies in business and government in order to ensure that the Earth’s geography is not altered anymore.
Several protestors also marched from Landquart to Davos to protest the inaction of the global leaders. Activists criticised mass production, as it is the leading cause of resources being wasted along with overconsumption being encouraged. With pressure mounting from the activists, leaders need to recognise the will of the people as well who are interested in saving their own environment above everything else. With climate change already in commotion, there is so much that needs to be done to reverse the process. It is important to engage in dialogue to find solutions rather than sit around and debate its existence entirely. Awareness campaigns need to be devised that help people recognise the steps they can take to improve the conditions along with measures that several governments can take to improve global conditions.
Source: https://nation.com.pk/23-Jan-2020/agenda-of-climate-change
