ROME - Speaking at the latest in a series of conferences run by the Euro-Gulf Information Centre (EGIC), Dick Roche, the former Irish Environment Minister, discussed the two conclusions he took away from the 2006 Stern Review on Climate Change. Firstly that there is still time to make the necessary changes to protect the environment, and secondly that “strong government policy is essential to motivate change.”

  However, speaking on the eve of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Roche offered a much more gloomy outlook than the now 15 year old report. He lamented that “too much verbiage and not enough explicit action” is the problem that befalls the current climate change action of many western governments. Though he argued that it is “small steps that are going to save us,” it is up to the government to motivate this kind of change - beginning with strong, positive policies.

  Lord Duncan of Springbank, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords and former UK Under-Secretary of State for Climate Change, said at the webinar on Wednesday that the world “is not on track” for any of the UN’s climate change goals, and that “even the UK will struggle to meet their targets.” Though he did add that the UK have “some of the most ambitious” net-zero targets.

  Though Roche perhaps wasn’t quite so pessimistic, he did say that some big action is needed. Regarding Thursday’s international climate conference, he added that “the COP process has run its course.” 

  “Conferences are showcases, and showcases have their place… but I’m not convinced it’s the best way forward.” He went on to suggest the possibility of a much more action-based strategy to replace the endless discussions and target-setting of various global conferences, something along the lines of an environmental Marshall Plan. 

  The Marshall Plan, through direct grants and economic programmes, played a huge part in the post-war recovery of much of Western Europe, as well as breaking down trade barriers and modernising industry, and a similar idea concerned with the protection of the natural environment could have huge tangible advantages. Roche even proposed that a permanent Climate Change Council at the UN could be a crucial to achieving results, to replace the "carnival atmosphere of a COP meeting."

  Adding to Roche’s criticism of the COP process, Duncan pointed out the failure of COP25, held in 2019 in Madrid, though run by Chile (Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists said, “never have I seen the almost total disconnect we’ve seen here at COP25 in Madrid between what the science requires and what the climate negotiations are delivering in terms of meaningful action.”).

  Also speaking at the conference was Suzanna Elmassah, Professor of Economics and Finance at the UAE’s Zayed University, and Fellow at the Economic Research Forum, who added that there is “no time to waste” in terms of sustainable development and environment protection, particularly in this period of post-Covid recovery.

  Talking particularly in regards to the Gulf States, though her point no doubt rings true for the rest of the world, she argued that the only way for the countries to recover “resiliently” from the pandemic is to recover “in a green way.” The world has such a good chance now, as many countries are beginning to rebuild and restrengthen their economies, to also restructure in a way that will not leave us so vulnerable to another similar global emergency. 

  She argued that the pandemic has to make us realise that economies need to be more resilient and self sufficient, and part of that comes from a more environmentally friendly approach to energy production, as well as most industry. 

  CO2 emissions fell by 17 percent last April as a result of the almost global lockdown, but Elmassah was quick to point out that this won’t mean anything, and all this good work could be undone, “unless recovery also leads to a low carbon way of life.”

  The UAE have just recently become the first Gulf country to produce any nuclear energy, and are now aiming for 50 percent clean energy by 2050, the first major target by any Gulf country.

  Though all of this is positive work, and shows good intent, all three speakers agreed that this will not be enough unless proper steps start to be taken, with time slowly running out.

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