Local student Finn Liley hopes the climate change conference in Glasgow will not only inspire planning but action. Photo / NZME
Local student Finn Liley hopes the climate change conference in Glasgow will not only inspire planning but action. Photo / NZME
As leaders from 195 countries gather in Glasgow to renew their commitments to fighting climate change, local student Finn Liley hopes more will come out of the summit than "just talk."
"We need more community education, raising the awareness of climate change and motivating people to make changes in theirown homes and businesses," the 17-year-old told the Rotorua Daily Post.
"There has been some progress but there still needs to be broader support and promotion of more sustainable land use."
But Liley is not optimistic.
In his view: "It's pretty clear that even though the leaders are saying they're going to do something it's all talk no action.
COP26 is a climate conference that began in Glasgow on October 31 where participating countries review their plans to cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of this decade.
India Logan-Riley indigenous climate activist from New Zealand speaks at COP26. Photo / AP
It comes after the historic Paris Agreement in 2015 where nations committed to keeping global warming below 2C, and preferably 1.5C, compared to pre-industrial levels.
New Zealand's commitment in 2015 was well below other nations, a pledge to lower its emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels and 11 per cent below 1990 levels, before 2030.
A report by New Zealand's Climate Change Commission in June said greenhouse gas levels in New Zealand effectively need to drop by around a third by 2035.
To get there, it has recommended aggressive measures including a halt on petrol car imports after 2032, slashing livestock numbers by 15 per cent by 2030, and planting 380,000ha of new exotic forestry.
In the lead-up to COP26 Government has proposed measures such asclean car discounts and banning new gas connections.
"New Zealand's announcement was quite good but when you compare it to places like India and China it's not quick enough," Liley said.
"In 50 or 60 years time people my age are going to be the ones who are going to have to deal with the problem."
Te Arawa Lakes Trust climate change co-ordinator Lani Kereopa said what she'd seen from COP26 so far was a need for more youth and indigenous leadership.
"Young people are taking the lead and it's no different for Te Arawa. We are going to be putting rangatahi forward because they are outstanding.
"They have different viewpoint, experience and expectations. They're coming from a different place."
Kereopa said she also hoped indigenous leadership in climate action would be taken on board.
"We know what the priority areas are for us. We've got a plan. We just need support for our plans from both local and national government.
"I would say that what I personally want from COP26 is no different from what all indigenous people want from COP26: our world view and our way of life taken seriously."
Bay of Plenty Climate Change Network founder Gray Southon hopes COP26 will help countries plan to reduce fossil fuels. Photo / George Novak
Bay of Plenty Climate Change Network founder Gray Southon said climate change was a complex problem.
"Up until 2005, I was resisting it. I thought [climate action] was few fashionable people pushing at boundaries," the 78-year-old physicist said.
Eventually, Southon said he could not ignore the evidence.
"It's been nearly 40 years that we've been told that our lifestyles are destroying the planet for our children."
Southon hoped COP26 would help countries like New Zealand to take definitive steps to reduce fossil fuel usage.
"In one way, it's simple in that we've got to get rid of fossil fuels. How many rooftops have got solar panels?"
Southon, who is waiting for his own solar panels to arrive, said he recognised reducing fossil fuel usage was going to come at a cost.
"Fossil fuels have allowed us to do incredible things and to live in comfort and privilege. But you can't ask for an immediate return on saving the future."
