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Something powerful is happening around the world. The issue of climate change has moved from the margins to the mainstream, says Alok Sharma, the President-Designate of COP26, the United Nations climate conference set to take place in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. He unpacks what this shift means for the world economy and the accelerating “green industrial revolution” — and lays out the urgent actions that need to happen in order to limit global temperature rise.
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Transcriber: Ivana Korom
Reviewer:
I’m here, in the heart of London’s
financial district, the Square Mile.
This is the area where I worked
at the start of my investment-banking
career in the ’90s,
as a fresh-faced youth.
But if you told me then
that I would end up as COP26 president,
I think I’d have asked you what COP26 was.
It’s the 26th United Nations
climate conference
and it’s taking place in the UK.
But forget the technical terms.
What COP26 really stands for
is our last chance to avoid
the worst effects of climate change.
And I’ll come back to that later.
The point is that when I began
my career in banking,
climate didn’t feature
particularly highly,
certainly not in finance,
and not so much in the rest
of the country either.
In the ’90s, there was a guy
called Swampy,
who spent time
occupying trees and tunnels,
and he was the main face of climate action
in the United Kingdom.
But, you know, things change.
I remember being on a flight
in the late 2000s
and watching Al Gore’s film
“An Inconvenient Truth.”
And I rarely watch an entire film,
but this one I watched twice
on the same flight.
And I remember sitting
on the plane afterwards
thinking about my young daughters
and what future I wanted for them.
So fast forward 14 years or so,
and my entire professional life
is now dedicated
to getting the world to tackle
the climate crisis.
I witnessed the terrible effects
that the crisis is already having
in developing countries
amongst people who, quite frankly,
have done the very least to cause it.
And I think about that injustice a lot.
Really a lot.
And that journey that I’ve made
is just one example
of a much broader shift
over the past 30 years.
One that has seen climate
move from the margins to the mainstream
in business, in government,
in finance and indeed amongst the public.
And it’s that shift
that makes me hopeful on climate,
despite the scale of the challenge
that we face, which frankly is huge.
Now, the science shows that to avoid
the worst effects of climate change,
we must limit the rise
in average global temperature
to 1.5 degrees centigrade.
That if temperatures rise higher,
the risk of species extinction
and catastrophic impacts on human lives
increases dramatically.
And we risk kickstarting feedback loops
with the consequences of climate change,
like melting permafrost,
release even more greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere,
making it even harder
to wrestle the crisis under control.
Now, to keep 1.5-degree limits alive,
we’ve got to halve
global emissions by 2030.
That’s right, halve.
That is a huge undertaking.
But, you know, I’m hopeful
because climate is now mainstream
and that is turning
the global economy green.
Increasingly, the Swampies of the world,
they’re not protesting
in trees and tunnels,
they’re all around us in the boardrooms
as well as the classrooms.
In government departments
and on trading floors
all around the world.
In every country that I visit
as COP president,
I meet young people and activists.
And everywhere I see the same passion
and the commitment to act on climate.
Companies in every sector
are throwing themselves
behind a clean, green future,
and rocketing public concern
is encouraging governments
and businesses to act.
And shareholders, they’re forcing
companies to change.
And the move to clean technology
is accelerating
faster than anyone anticipated.
I mean, let’s take the sale
of clean cars and vans
that outstripping predictions.
Solar and wind power are now cheaper
than coal and gas in most of the world.
And three times as much solar power
was built in 2020 than analysts predicted
just back in 2015.
In my old industry, finance,
climate is now mainstream, too.
And there is a simple reason for that.
Investors try to predict the future.
Because if you can do that,
you can make money.
And increasingly,
they think the future is green.
More and more financial firms
are committing to make their investments
consistent with a 1.5-degree world.
And investors are asking
for much higher returns from coal power
than they are from renewables
because they’re worried
that coal power stations
are going to become worthless.
In February 2020,
when I helped launch our COP26
finance campaign here in the Square Mile
to get finance moving to climate action,
the place was packed to the rafters.
You know, when I worked in banking,
certainly at the start,
the room would have been near empty.
And what all of this adds up to,
this mainstreaming of climate,
is a quiet revolution
in the global economy.
A green industrial revolution is underway,
taking us to a clean future,
showing that we can create jobs
and prosperity without harming the planet.
Our challenge is
that it’s not going fast enough.
Limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees
requires us to move much faster.
And we can only succeed if we act now
and we work together to speed up
the shift to our green future.
And that’s what COP26 really stands for.
Now, in the run up to the conference
and at the conference itself,
we need governments to take the lead
and get the green transition moving faster
to keep 1.5 degrees alive.
We need them to set targets
to reduce emissions,
to make this the COP that consigns
coal power to history where it belongs.
The COP that signals the end
of polluting vehicles,
the COP that calls time on deforestation.
We need developed countries
to deliver the finance
they have promised developing countries.
And we need to help protect
people and nature
from the impact of our changing climate.
And we need to work together as one planet
to agree how we’re going to meet
the scale of the climate challenge
and to get every sector going green.
Now, this isn’t going to be easy.
First, because our understanding
of the climate is developing all the time.
And as the science tells us,
we need to move faster.
We’re going to have to respond.
Second, getting people to agree
can be challenging.
And at COP26, we have
almost 200 countries.
And all of the UK is leading this process.
It’s up to all of us
to find solutions together.
It’s like hosting a disco, a bop.
And look, I apologize
that these terms show my age,
but you can get a hall
and you can hire a DJ,
but to make it work, your friends
have to turn up and dance.
And so it will be tough,
but we simply cannot afford to fail.
The stakes are just too high.
And when ex-bankers like me lie awake
thinking about climate change,
when activists and businesses
around the world
have moved climate to the mainstream,
we can all be hopeful.
A green revolution is on the march.
The clean future is within our grasp,
but we need to actively pull it forward.
And we need world leaders
to take this chance
to turn hope into certainty,
to mold the future,
to come together at COP26,
and to continue my disco analogy, dance.
Thank you.
Bee
July 26, 2021 at 6:30 pm
If you live in the UK most probably you won’t believe a word this government says. They do the opposite of what they say.
koyaanisqatsi
July 26, 2021 at 6:57 pm
I thought it was only in Turkey. I feel better now
Greg Gary
July 26, 2021 at 6:33 pm
26th.
Twenty-sixth.
If doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result is insane, then these people are clearly entirely out of their minds.
The chances of governments and targets working? Slim left town last century.
Elon Musk is right. It’s too late.
CMDR After Hours
July 26, 2021 at 6:46 pm
Right on cue, more propaganda. What a surprise. If you still believe the tv at this point and you still believe the mainstream media at this point… you’re a moron. Take back control of your mind. Have some critically thinking ability and some self respect. We need to unite more than ever. Put that fake left right circus show aside, your freedom and your rights are at stake and if not for you then how about the future generations. Wake up! We’re being played!
larry drollinger
July 26, 2021 at 7:01 pm
stupid you want money
Andyity
July 26, 2021 at 7:03 pm
He wants to carbon tax his kids?
Super Ray
July 26, 2021 at 7:09 pm
Why is this guy on TED? I hate this guy
CheaterXL
July 26, 2021 at 7:18 pm
Saying to do it faster doesn’t help. I want to know specific solutions instead of saying that we have to use the green solution.
Boris S.
July 26, 2021 at 7:29 pm
Oh where do I start on Climate Change and what has been done since 1985! A green Global Economy big money is being made by faceless people whilst Governments pile barrow loads of cash into their Bank Accounts!
Andrea Toffolo
July 26, 2021 at 7:42 pm
as a financial consultant, i really find myself and what we are reading all the times in this words.
Hoping for everything to move faster!
Nice video
Imabot Tripleought
July 26, 2021 at 7:46 pm
My takeaway: You humans need more DJs.
Irving Peenwiddle
July 26, 2021 at 8:13 pm
Don’t buy the Climate Lie!
Urwa Yusuf
July 26, 2021 at 8:43 pm
With reference the UK Covid Crisis, we now know where Alok Sharma has been hiding 🤔
Jack Voss
July 26, 2021 at 8:46 pm
Most TED talks are intelligent, thoughtful, and right. But, this one is a new direction.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying.
Jules L
July 26, 2021 at 9:11 pm
I don’t believe this man, or his Tory sponsors, ever loose sleep over anything other than their own quest for wealth & status.
Worth It Candy
July 26, 2021 at 9:17 pm
Maybe some of us want to pollute the world; nobody ever thought of that.
Gypandi
July 26, 2021 at 9:58 pm
Damnn… I just gave like nr. 421… sorry
Kurt Anderson
July 26, 2021 at 10:23 pm
Really TED? Just a leader’s commercial for his org‘s conference? You can do better than that
Angelina Thompson
July 26, 2021 at 10:32 pm
Venturing into the trading world with the help of a professional trader and expecting profit is like turning water into wine,you would need a miracle,that’s why I trade with Mrs Lisa Alexander. Her skills are exceptional.
Dunbar Jude
July 26, 2021 at 10:40 pm
Amazing i also just started trading with Mrs Lisa Alexander , she is the best at what she does with an initial investment of $ 1400 i made up to $5230 in just a week of trading with her, her strategies are mind blowing.
Angelina Thompson
July 26, 2021 at 10:42 pm
@Mary Wallace You have to be consistent in your approach, trading FOREX is always difficult but Mrs Lisa Alexander is very good . kindly reach her through her telegram page.
Angelina Thompson
July 26, 2021 at 10:43 pm
@Mary Wallace @officiallisalex
Richy Nsa
July 26, 2021 at 10:44 pm
Yes I can believe that, I’m a testimony. I was so sad after receiving the first pay knowing I invested so low with fear, A friend that I referred to her just received $11,050 profit after 12 days of investing. . I became jealous and lol.
Maria Wallace
July 26, 2021 at 10:45 pm
I have traded with a lot of individuals but i have never come across anyone as good as Mrs Lisa Alexander , just by applying her strategies i now trade independently. She is the best I advise any novice in investing to trade with her.
Jackie Boyle
July 27, 2021 at 12:04 am
You may need to watch
“Planet of the Humans”
You fool ..
Man’s wisdom is Foolishness to God
Jackie Boyle
July 27, 2021 at 12:06 am
And Meanwhile Benzo’s jumps in his rocket for a 10 min ride .. Give me a break
Jackie Boyle
July 27, 2021 at 12:13 am
Our Carbon footprint is worth big money to bankers
No wonder you lay awake at night, thinking of all the ways you Will charge people for living ..
God is about to destroy your green planet so you need to look into that 🙏❣
chadoftoons
July 27, 2021 at 12:23 am
The man didnt answer any questions that would be important to believe he is standing there for this objective.
Would it even be feasible for these countries to pay or invest into this?
How would you make anyone excited to not have a catastrophe happen when it happening and it getting fixed is the corenerstone of every societal issue being resolved now?
How many investors are there ready to gobble up goverments “assitances” just to enrich themselves instead of actually moving to help with technologies that reduce our emissions?
That money could just aswell go to anyones pocket but saving the world with no returns.
I`d also like to ask TED why they are us not showing the improvements being made on these technologies instead of a guy telling us about a conference.
Dylan McGrath
July 27, 2021 at 12:32 am
Maybe I would consider growing a plant if Marijuana was legalised. Then I would be a able to recreationally smoke and use the flowering bud for medicinal properties instead of buying it off the local dealer and giving them money/ power.
Dylan McGrath
July 27, 2021 at 12:47 am
@D. S. One is a slap on the wrist and one is prison time. There is a substantial difference.
D. S.
July 27, 2021 at 12:49 am
@Dylan McGrath sucks to be in your legal system
Dylan McGrath
July 27, 2021 at 12:57 am
@D. S. Im guessing you live in Canada or America?
D. S.
July 27, 2021 at 1:00 am
@Dylan McGrath England
Dylan McGrath
July 27, 2021 at 1:26 am
@D. S. We are in the same legal system then you absolute mong
Dylan McGrath
July 27, 2021 at 12:37 am
You can see the changes higher temperatures and higher tides.
grouchyblackman
July 27, 2021 at 1:15 am
Blah blah blah. Ask the dinosaurs about climate change. They got climate change instantly. It doesn’t matter what we do to this earth. We can’t kill the earth…only ourselves. We don’t deserve this planet anyway.
James Kulevich
July 27, 2021 at 1:36 am
Nope.
James Kulevich
July 27, 2021 at 1:37 am
And yet more exaggerated propaganda garbage from ted.
Kloko Loko
July 27, 2021 at 2:38 am
Coal is toxic!
youxkio
July 27, 2021 at 3:13 am
Inspiring. Way to go TED. We may not have conferences in a room full of people. But we may still have the chance of watching and learning the will of decision-makers.
iloveyouamberappel
July 27, 2021 at 5:21 am
You do not see commitment to act on climate change. You see a commitment to have the government handle it. There was video a few days ago. It said 70% of people under 24 are stressed about climate change. You don’t see people on mass making changes to their daily lives, even simple things. It’s just the “can’t someone else do it” mentality.
Yes! Act now and work together. Individuals have way more power than is pushed in the mainstream. Make every reasonable change in your own life, to reduce your own footprint and only spend your money at companies that do the same. This investment banker knows all about it and should have talked about it more. If 70% of people under the age of 24( plus who ever else is worried about climate change) stopped shopping at any given store. It would go out of business or adapt to stay open. Plain and simple.
I implore anyone who says they care about the environment to do these things: Stop being materialistic, Eat more local grown fruits and vegetables, compost, limit use of any plastic products, shop at a waste free grocery(if available), limit energy and water consumption, bike/walk when possible, and again only spend money at places that are working to make a difference! Hint: It’s not Amazon, Walmart, Target and the other big brand names. It’s local business.
bb Boyce
July 27, 2021 at 8:38 am
He literally admited this is about “making money” and “green” investments and he’s in charge of climate change and he’s an ex banker 😂😂😂
I’ve seen planet of the humans documentary. These green technologies are anything but green lol they use more fossil fuels and require more resource mining and energy and all the investments go to big oil.
Weve been lied to and taken advantage of for money again and this guy literally admited it
silvermica
July 27, 2021 at 9:52 am
3:09 – cutting global emissions by 50% by 2030 will not even come close to happening. If we are really lucky maybe we can cut emissions by 5% =(
Joe O
July 28, 2021 at 12:17 am
Technology will play a major part. Where does this guy get his numbers? How does he know that 50% will have ANY effect? Electric cars and solar energy are surely helpful. How helpful? .01%?, maybe 30%? A legitimate scientist may know the answer to my question. How do we know that the carbon is not leaking out into space, and in effect cleaning the planet?
Geonu Bae
July 27, 2021 at 10:47 am
It doesn’t matter who he is. there is no specific occupation that you need to have to save the world. really. Maybe he had realized that his purpose in life is to encourage people to make actions for climate change. And we need nobody to entrust responsibility for climate change to. We must do it ourselves, now.
Mick Galt
July 27, 2021 at 11:17 am
that’s what we need. another committee..
sundram,mokana Thevar
July 27, 2021 at 11:24 am
a greener Sahara desert could well be the answer. flooding the desert, from underneath, with sea water thru tunnels, of Mediterranean or Atlantic, will get us new farmlands.
would you consider investing..
Ben Vost
July 28, 2021 at 5:48 pm
Saltwater does not good farmlands make…
Anthony Dillon
July 27, 2021 at 12:07 pm
How about you acknowledge swampy as the true hero.
Sion Pasa
July 27, 2021 at 1:00 pm
Do for the better future for us & next generation…sound s cheesy. but its better than nothing.👍
Plymouth Dan
July 27, 2021 at 1:00 pm
Silly comments – Tory man bad
Funnily enough, that isn’t a compelling argument.
You can disagree and challenge, but just saying conservatives are bad people is hindering progress and alienating those who vote for them.
jordan mitchell
July 27, 2021 at 2:06 pm
We need a complete restructure of our governmental systems worldwide and this is such a great start at guiding us toward what things truly need to matter and be focused on in this life.
Halftime's at Midnight
July 27, 2021 at 3:05 pm
He didn’t say anything
staviwavi222
July 27, 2021 at 3:26 pm
Halving emissions by 2030 isnt enough to stay under 1.5C of warming. In 2021 we’re already at 1.2C, by 2030 we’ll be at 1.5C. Mark my words.
There’s a lot of talk on climate action lately, but actions speak louder than words. We need greater ambition, faster.
Justin Griffin
July 27, 2021 at 4:14 pm
Funny waterfront property worldwide is at an all time high…
SAMCA San Andreas
July 27, 2021 at 5:01 pm
More propaganda
Johnjohn42 Kudi
July 27, 2021 at 6:08 pm
Liked and am watching!
#buzzofftoxic Blog
July 27, 2021 at 6:35 pm
Global non-profit leadership. Working together we can re build our Earth for all life!
Thank you Buzz off Toxic C.O.P26 I will be there will you?
Aaron Oneal
July 27, 2021 at 8:40 pm
If you are looking for away to help the environment and fight climate change you can use ecosia they are a search engine that plants trees
Laura P
July 27, 2021 at 10:32 pm
What?! 😂
Sharma is a complete and utter hypocrite.
This is an absolute joke of a speech, and video. Shame on you Alok Sharma.
Arnaud Dika
July 27, 2021 at 11:23 pm
“We must limit the rise of global temperature below 1.5°C” No dude, that ain’t happening, we’re due for at least 2°C by 2100.
Ben Vost
July 28, 2021 at 5:47 pm
And probably well before then. We’re already past 1.2°C…
Arnaud Dika
July 28, 2021 at 5:56 pm
@Ben Vost These finance experts are great at putting their heads in the sand and talking big
Ben Vost
July 28, 2021 at 6:03 pm
@Arnaud Dika I _hope_ this is different but I fear it’s not. The clock is ticking, guys…
Joe O
July 28, 2021 at 12:03 am
3:10 What has to happen to reduce carbon emissions by half? WORLDWIDE! What would that look like? The population of China is 10X the USA population. How do you get them to comply.
Joe O
July 28, 2021 at 12:23 am
If the 1960s and 70s didn’t lill the planet what will? We killed all life in one of our Great Lakes! Eagles and alligators were endangered. DDT was sprayed everywhere to kill mosquitos. We used leaded gasoline. The word SMOG was invented.
Joe O
July 28, 2021 at 12:26 am
We should reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, NOT tax the use of it.
Andre Bloom
July 28, 2021 at 12:28 pm
When people say ‘the science shows’ I kinda think of Fraud Fauci. “I am Science”! Go clean your room, then your house, then your street… You think China is going to play ball? You sound like another John Kerry… Flying around in a private jet to tell us working people not to drive our cars to work.
ChristinaAintNoCritic
July 28, 2021 at 11:04 pm
The man’s voice sounds just like Boris Johnson
Where The Bells Dwell
July 29, 2021 at 1:19 am
Boris’ voice double. The 26th event of it’s kind and things are getting worse not better, hmmmm.
OpiatedBliss
July 30, 2021 at 1:40 am
and by “we” you mean India and China
Ian Young
July 30, 2021 at 10:44 am
What I’d like to see is this man, and all other interested parties in this conference, on the first of November 2021, as item 1 on the COP26 agenda, ingest 5 dried grams each of psilocybin, so that he and the other delegates can listen to what the Earth has to say.