“I understand that, I have children myself,” he said on Friday in Glasgow at an event at which young people demanded more ambition and speed in the fight against the climate crisis. “I literally fight day and night to keep the 1.5-degree target within reach,” he said.
What is meant is the resolution in the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, according to which global warming should be stopped at 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times.
At the same time, Sharma referred to the latest promises that give hope: For example, the promise of major economies in the G20 to no longer subsidize the construction of coal-fired power plants abroad with public funds. The new pact of a good 100 countries to stop deforestation by 2030 is also groundbreaking. But he admitted: “Together we have to make sure that everyone keeps their promises.”
The UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa called the demands of the youth justified. She promised to take them to the delegations of the 200 or so states represented in Glasgow.
Less than a week after the start of the World Climate Conference, tens of thousands of people are expected on Friday in Glasgow for a large-scale demonstration for more climate protection. After a march through the city center, the founder of the climate protection movement Fridays for Future, Greta Thunberg, will give a speech in the afternoon (around 3 p.m.). The next demonstration will follow on Saturday in Glasgow, which the organizers expect to attract more than 100,000 people.