Climate activists of all ages have descended on Glasgow to demand that world leaders act quickly to combat the climate crisis — but not all are hopeful that COP26 will lead to concrete pledges.
CNN’s Ivana Kottasová has spoken with a few of them:
Azeri Abunakar, from Nigeria, and Inez Yabar, from Peru, tell CNN they are in Glasgow to represent the silent majority who cannot attend. They want to amplify the voices of young people who are already feeling the devastating impact of climate change.
“Me being here is a good opportunity to make sure that the voices of those not being here are being heard,” said Abunakar, who lives in Lagos, a low-lying city on Nigeria’s Atlantic coast that is increasingly vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding.
Home to more than 24 million people, Lagos may become uninhabitable by the end of this century as sea levels rise due to climate change, scientific projections suggest.
“To me it’s all about bringing here the voices of the missing majority. The people who cannot come to COP,” Yabar said of her desire to be at the summit.
Both Abunakar and Yabar have access to the main venue and say they will make sure to speak to delegates about the people they represent and experiences with climate change.
Gill Phillips, 66, from Bristol, England, came to Glasgow carrying a homemade banner that reads: “History will judge you.”
She’s not optimistic that history will judge world leaders at COP26 well.
“I think I will be disappointed. The world leaders, they are in office for five, 10 years. They care about getting re-elected, not about the long term. I’m hoping there will be some announcements. But then again, there have been announcements before and nothing happened,” Phillips said.
“We each need to do our bit. I can put my banner up, but there’s not much individuals can do. This is up to the world leaders, corporations, businesses.”