Greta Thunberg full speech at UN Climate Change COP25 - Climate Emergency Event
Summary
TLDRThe speaker addresses the urgency of climate change, emphasizing the need for immediate action. They highlight the shrinking carbon budget and criticize global leaders for ineffective pledges and lack of urgency. The speaker calls for drastic emission cuts and stresses the importance of equity in addressing the crisis. They express hope in the people's power to demand change, emphasizing democracy's role in driving necessary action.
Takeaways
- π₯ The speaker emphasizes the urgency of the climate crisis, stating that traditional alarming phrases are often the focus rather than the facts.
- π‘οΈ According to the IPCC SR 1.5 report, as of January 1st, 2018, only 420 gigatons of CO2 were left to limit global warming to 1.5Β°C, a budget that is rapidly shrinking.
- π The current best science suggests that at the current emissions level, the remaining carbon budget will be depleted in approximately eight years.
- π± The speaker highlights the importance of equity in climate action, stating that rich countries must reduce emissions faster and assist less fortunate nations.
- β±οΈ The script points out that most climate models do not account for feedback loops or additional warming hidden by air pollution.
- πΏ The necessity to stay below a 1.5Β°C increase is underscored, as even a 1Β°C rise is causing deaths and climate destabilization.
- πΈ Post-Paris Agreement, global banks have continued to invest heavily in fossil fuels, with 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions.
- π’ The wealthiest 10% of the global population contribute to half of CO2 emissions, while the poorest 50% account for only 10%.
- π The speaker criticizes the insufficient and misleading climate pledges by some countries that exclude key sectors and lack immediate reduction rates.
- π³ To limit global warming to 1.5Β°C, it's not enough to reduce emissions; we must also keep carbon in the ground and avoid false solutions.
- π³οΈ The script concludes with a call to action, emphasizing that real change comes from an informed public demanding action from their leaders.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial attitude towards speaking to others?
-The speaker initially avoided speaking to anyone unless absolutely necessary.
What did the speaker learn about public speaking from their experience?
-The speaker learned that starting with personal or emotional statements can grab attention, but they chose not to do so in this speech to avoid overshadowing the facts.
What is the significance of the 'house is on fire' metaphor in the context of the speech?
-The 'house is on fire' metaphor is used to illustrate the urgency of the climate crisis, but the speaker refrains from using it to ensure the audience focuses on the scientific facts.
According to the IPCC report mentioned, what was the remaining carbon budget as of January 1st, 2018 to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius?
-As of January 1st, 2018, there were 420 gigatons of CO2 left in the budget to limit the global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
How quickly is the remaining carbon budget being depleted based on current emissions?
-At the current rate of about 42 gigatons of CO2 emissions per year, the remaining budget would be depleted in approximately eight years.
What does the speaker suggest is the role of rich countries in addressing climate change?
-Rich countries should reduce their emissions faster, reach zero emissions, and assist poorer countries in doing the same to allow them to improve their living standards.
What are the implications of exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius global temperature rise?
-Exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius could lead to irreversible chain reactions such as melting glaciers, polar ice caps, and Arctic permafrost, which could destabilize the climate.
How does the speaker feel about the pledges made by some countries to reduce emissions?
-The speaker views these pledges as misleading and insufficient, as they often exclude certain emissions and do not include immediate, substantial reduction rates.
What does the speaker believe is the biggest danger in addressing climate change?
-The speaker believes the biggest danger is the illusion of action by politicians and CEOs, where they make it seem like significant steps are being taken while hardly anything is being done.
What does the speaker see as the source of hope in combating climate change?
-The speaker sees hope in the people, particularly those who are becoming aware of the crisis and are ready to demand change.
How does the speaker suggest that change should be initiated?
-The speaker suggests that change should start immediately, through public opinion and democracy, without waiting for election cycles or government initiatives.
Outlines
π Climate Emergency and Carbon Budgets
The speaker discusses their transformation from a reclusive individual to an active climate activist, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change. They highlight the critical importance of starting speeches with personal or emotional appeals to engage audiences. The speaker then delves into the scientific facts, referencing the IPCC's SR 1.5 report, which indicates that as of January 1, 2018, only 420 gigatons of CO2 were left in our carbon budget to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. With current emissions, this budget will be exhausted in approximately eight years. The speaker stresses that these figures are not opinions but the best available science, accepted globally through the IPCC. They also mention the need for equity in addressing climate change, with rich countries needing to reduce emissions faster and assist poorer nations in doing the same. The speaker warns of the potential for irreversible climate chain reactions if global temperatures rise beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius.
π± Inadequate Climate Pledges and the Need for Urgency
The speaker critiques the insufficient efforts of wealthy nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pointing out that many pledges lack comprehensive measures, such as including aviation, shipping, and imported/exported goods. They argue that these pledges are misleading and do not reflect the immediate and drastic action required to stay within the shrinking carbon budget. The speaker emphasizes the need for real action, not just promises of future reductions. They also discuss the global inequality in emissions, with the richest 10% of the population producing half of the CO2 emissions, while the poorest 50% contribute only a tenth. The speaker calls for an end to the tactics of loophole negotiation and creative accounting by countries, urging for genuine and immediate emission reductions. They express concern that the lack of awareness and urgency among leaders and the public is hindering meaningful action on climate change.
πͺ The Power of Public Awareness and Democracy
In the final paragraph, the speaker expresses hope, not in governments or corporations, but in the people. They observe a growing awareness among individuals who were previously uninformed about the climate crisis. The speaker believes that once people become aware, they are ready for change, and this change can be initiated immediately through democracy, which operates continuously, not just during elections. They emphasize that significant historical changes have originated from the public's demand for action. The speaker concludes by urging the audience to recognize the need for immediate change and to exercise their democratic power to drive the necessary transformations in climate policy and action.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Public Speaking
π‘Carbon Budgets
π‘Global Temperature Rise
π‘Equity
π‘Feedback Loops
π‘Tipping Points
π‘Greenhouse Gas Emissions
π‘Paris Agreement
π‘Climate Neutrality
π‘Awareness
π‘Democracy
Highlights
The speaker used to avoid speaking to others unless necessary, but found a reason to speak and has since given many speeches.
Public speaking should start with personal or emotional content to capture attention.
The speaker chooses not to use panic-inducing phrases to avoid overshadowing the facts.
There is an urgent need to address the rapidly declining carbon budgets.
As of January 1st, 2018, only 420 gigatons of CO2 were left in the budget to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
At current emission levels, the remaining carbon budget will be depleted in about eight years.
The figures presented are based on the best available science from the IPCC SR 1.5 report.
The global carbon budget does not account for equity, which is essential for the Paris Agreement.
Rich countries need to reach zero emissions faster and assist poorer nations to do the same.
Most climate models do not include feedback loops or additional warming hidden by air pollution.
The 6 to 7% chance budget for limiting global temperature rise is the highest odds given by the IPCC.
The importance of staying below 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid irreversible climate chain reactions.
Global banks have invested $1.9 trillion in fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement.
100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions.
The richest 10% of the world's population produce half of CO2 emissions, while the poorest 50% account for just 1/10.
Rich countries' pledges to reduce emissions often exclude aviation, shipping, and imported/exported goods.
Countries are finding ways to avoid real action, such as double-counting emissions reductions.
The need for drastic emission cuts at the source and keeping carbon in the ground.
The lack of awareness and urgency among leaders and the public about the climate crisis.
The hope comes from the people, not governments or corporations, as they start to wake up to the crisis.
Democracy and public opinion can drive change, and people are ready for it.
Transcripts
a year and a half ago I didn't speak to
anyone unless I really had to but then I
found a reason to speak since then I've
given many speeches and learned that
when you talk in public you should start
with something personal or emotional to
get everyone's attention say things like
our house is on fire
I wanted to panic or how dare you but
today I will not do that because then
those phrases are all that people focus
on they don't remember the facts the
very reason why I say those things in
the first place we no longer have time
to leave out the science for about a
year I have been constantly talking
about our rapidly declining carbon
budgets over and over again but since
there is still being ignored I will just
keep repeating it in chapter 2 on page
108 in the SR 1.5 IPCC report that came
out last year it says that if we are to
have a six to seven percent chance of
limiting the global temperature rise to
below 1.5 degrees Celsius we had on
January 1st 2018 420 gigatons of co2
left to meet in that budget and of
course that number is much lower today
as we emits about 42 Giga tons of co2
every year including land use with
today's emissions levels that remaining
budgets will be gone within about eight
years these numbers aren't anyone's
opinions or political views this is the
current best available science though
many scientists suggests these figures
are too moderates these are the ones
that have been accept
that through the ipcc and please note
that these figures are global and
therefore do not say anything about the
aspect of equity which is absolutely
essential to make the Paris agreement
work on a global scale that means that
rich countries need to do their fair
share and get down to real zero
emissions much faster and then help
poorer countries do the same so people
in less fortunate parts of the world can
raise their living standards these
numbers also don't include most feedback
loops nonlinear tipping points or
additional warming hidden by toxic air
pollution most models assume however
that future generations will somehow be
able to suck hundreds of billions of
tons of co2 out of the air with
technologies that do not exist in the
scale required and maybe never will the
approximate 6 to 7% chance budget is the
one with the highest odds given by the
IPCC and now we have less than 340
gigatons of co2 left to meet in that
budget to share fairly and why is it so
important to stay below 1.5 degrees
because even a 1 degree people are dying
from the climate crisis because that is
what the united science calls for to
avoid destabilizing the climates so that
we have the best possible chance to
avoid setting of irreversible chain
reactions such as melting glaciers
polarize and throwing Arctic permafrost
every fraction of a degree matters so
there it is again
this is my message this is what I want
you to focus on so please tell me how do
you react to these numbers without
feeling at least some level of panic how
do you respond to the fact that
basically nothing is being done about
this without feeling the slightest bit
of anger and how do you communicate this
without sounding alarmist I would really
like to know since the Paris agreement
global banks have invested one point
nine trillion u.s. dollars in fossil
fuels 100 companies are responsible for
71 percent of global emissions the g20
countries account for almost 80 percent
of total emissions the richest 10% of
the world's population produce half of
our co2 emissions while the poorest 50
percent account for just 1/10 we indeed
have some work to do but some of more
than others
recently a handful of rich countries
pledged to reduce their emissions of
greenhouse gases by so on so many
percent by this or that date or to
become climate neutral or Net Zero in so
on so many years
this may sound impressive at first
glance but even though the intentions
may be good this is not leadership this
is not leading this is misleading
because most of these pledges do not
include aviation shipping and imported
and exported goods in consumption they
do however include the possibility of
countries to offset their emissions
elsewhere these pledges don't include
the immediate
yearly reduction rates needed for
wealthy countries which is necessary to
stay within the remaining tiny budget
zero in 2050 means nothing if high
emission continues even for a few years
then the remaining budget will be gone
without seeing the full picture we will
not solve this crisis finding holistic
solutions is what the cop should be all
about but instead it seems to have
turned into some kind of opportunity for
countries to negotiate loopholes and to
avoid raising their ambition
countries are finding clever ways around
having to take real action like double
counting emissions reductions and moving
their emissions overseas and working
back on their promises to increase
ambition or refusing to pay for
solutions or loss and damage this has to
stop
what we need is real drastic emission
cuts at the source but of course just
reducing emissions is not enough our
greenhouse gas emissions has to stop to
stay below 1.5 degrees we need to keep
the carbon in the ground only setting up
distant dates and saying things which
give the impression of that action is
underway will most likely do more harm
than good
because the changes required are still
nowhere in sight the politics needed
does not exist today despite what you
might hear from world leaders and I
still believe that the biggest danger is
not inaction the real danger is when
politicians and CEOs are making it look
like real action is happening when in
fact almost nothing is being done
apart from clever accounting and
creative PR
I have been fortunate enough to be able
to travel around the world and my
experience is that the lack of awareness
is the same everywhere not the least
amongst those elected to lead us there
is no sense of urgency whatsoever our
leaders are not behaving as if we were
in an emergency in an emergency you
change your behavior if there's a child
standing in the middle of the road and
cars are coming at full speed
you don't look away because it's too
uncomfortable you immediately run out
and rescue that child and without that
sense of urgency how can we the people
understand that we are facing a real
crisis and if the people are not fully
aware of what is going on then they will
not put pressure on the people in power
to do to the act and without pressure
from the people our leaders can get away
with basically not doing anything well
which is where we are now and around and
around it goes in just three weeks we
will enter a new decade a decade they
will define our future right now we are
desperate for any sign of hope well I'm
telling you there is hope I have seen it
but it does not come from the
governments or corporations it comes
from the people the people who have been
unaware but are now starting to wake up
and once we become aware we change
people can't change people are ready for
change
and that is the hope because we have
democracy
and democracy is happening all the time
not just on election day but every
second and every hour it is public
opinion that runs the free world in fact
every great change throughout history
has come from the people we do not have
to wait we can start the change right
now we the people thank you
[Applause]
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