The climate crisis has yet to fully register in large parts of both politics and society. There's still too much carelessness, complacency and short-term profit-seeking, warns science in ever louder and clearer terms. Climate protection activist Greta Thunberg recently sharply criticised the "blah blah blah" of politics. It's against this rather gloomy backdrop that the 26th UN Climate Conference (COP26) kicks off in Glasgow on 31 October. The reality is that we're far from the goal set out in the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees.
Tightening and binding greenhouse gas emission targets, as well as getting climate project financing off the ground, are among the goals of this world climate conference. Or, to put it another way: finally moving from talk to action.
But why is so little progress actually being made on climate protection? What responsibility do wealthy nations have towards poorer ones? Is the business sector genuinely further ahead than politics when it comes to transitioning to an emissions-free world? Are bans a solution, or do we simply need to get used to global warming and extreme weather events? And last but not least: what would Austria need to do about its dismal climate record?
Joining Klaus Webhofer for the discussion:
Wolfgang Anzengruber, CEO's for Future, former Verbund CEO,
Anika Dafert, Fridays for Future activist
Monika Langthaler, Director of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, organiser of the Austro World Summit
Thomas Schinko, climate economist, Scientists for Future
