2021: The Year that Got People Talking about Climate Change

The year 2021 will go down in history as the year that saw a prominent shift in climate change as being a mere matter of political disagreement to being acknowledged for what it really is — a major threat to the sustenance of the planet and its inhabitants.

From wildfires to floods, to heat waves and hurricanes, this year marked the culmination of humankind’s interference with nature, and continued ignorance of an issue that has been evolving and worsening for years on end.

However, the natural disasters of this year spurred on by numerous public protests calling for action against climate change, have resulted in notable climate summits, conferences, and policy changes across the world.

Mark Carney, a UN special envoy for finance and climate change, stated at the COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, “Finance is becoming a window through which ambitious climate action can deliver a sustainable future that people all over the world are demanding.”

The newest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report has also predicted a more ominous outcome if the inaction against climate change continues. The report states, “Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion — such as continued sea level rise — are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.”

However, as we look ahead to 2022, there are dozens of environmental goals that we hope countries, companies, and individuals advance to take climate actions. Urgent actions we will expect for the 2022 includes Cutting of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Mobilizing Climate Finance, Create Funds for Loss and Damage, End Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Stop Approving New Fossil Fuel Projects, Stop Methane and Investing in Conservation and Restoration.