As opinions circulate about the achievements, or lack of them, coming from the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, it is hard to remain optimistic about the future of the planet and of our children and grandchildren.
The reviews are certainly mixed. COP26 President Alok Sharma, a UK Minister of State and former Business Secretary said he was "deeply sorry" for how events had unfolded with an agreement to only "phase down" rather than "phase out" coal. There seems little doubt of his commitment and effort but good will is not enough.
Based on the conference’s limited pledges, some experts calculate that global temperatures are likely to rise to between 1.8 and 2.4 deg C, or even higher. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the planet is "hanging by a thread" but points out that countries will meet next year to discuss further major carbon cuts.
There’s always next year – but what about right now?
Every individual and every business on the planet has an opportunity to make a contribution, no matter how small, and tip the climate equation in the right direction.
Action is not encouraged by pessimism or fatalism, and as an engineer and a business leader, for me the big message from COP26 is that we have simply got to try harder.
The partners on the Betterworld.Solutions project are going to keep on pushing the case for investments and innovations that can make a real difference.
AES Engineering Group will continue with its 29 million by 2029 investment pledge and report on both the bumps on the road and the successes so others can learn from our experience.
We are not going to drown in a sea of indifference or let the planet fry if we can do something to prevent it.
What about you? Investment Policy to Prevent Global Warming and join a community that believes in action as well as words.
Follow the journey and keep up to speed with the updates in our Betterworld.Solutions magazine and the #29millionby29 campaign on Chris Rea’s LinkedIn.
