Boris Johnson warns of judgment from 'children not yet born' if COP26 climate action fails
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged world leaders to "get real" on the issue of global warming during his opening remarks at the U.N.-backed COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Monday, even quoting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg in his appeal.
The "long-awaited" climate talks formally opened Sunday and will run through Nov. 12, as leaders tackle "humanity's last and best chance to secure a livable future," per CNBC. The summit has been called "one of the important diplomatic meetings in history."
"Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change," Johnson said Monday. "It's one minute to midnight on that doomsday clock and we need to act now."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The prime minister noted that the climate agreements and promises made in Copenhagen 11 years ago and Paris six years ago "will be nothing but blah, blah, blah" if leaders do not act, he said, invoking Thunberg. "The anger and the impatience of the world will be uncontainable unless we make this COP26 in Glasgow the moment where we get real about climate change."
Johnson also appealed to the mortality of aging world leaders, who may not be around to experience the worst of climate change — though their posterity might.
"The children who will judge us are children not yet born," said Johnson. "We are now coming center stage before a vast and uncountable audience of posterity." "If we fail," he added, "they will not forgive us."
"Yes, it's going to be hard," Johnson said, rounding out his remarks. "But yes we can do it."
"Thank you very much, and good luck to all of us."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 1, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - election on the brain, Bannon emerges, and more
By The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'United States of Anxiety'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Supreme Court allows purge of Virginia voter rolls
Speed Read Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is purging some 1,600 people from state voter rolls days before the election
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Empowered' Steve Bannon released from prison
Speed Read Bannon was set free a week before Election Day and quickly returned to his right-wing podcast to promote Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Canada accuses top Modi ally of directing Sikh attacks
Speed Read Indian Home Minister Amit Shah was allegedly behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Harris makes closing case in huge rally at DC's Ellipse
Speed Read The Democratic nominee asked voters to "turn the page" on Trump's "division" and "chaos"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'I am not a Nazi,' Trump says amid MSG rally fallout
Speed Read Trump and his campaign are attempting to stem the fallout from comments made by speakers at Sunday's rally
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ballot drop boxes set on fire in Oregon, Washington
Speed Read Hundreds of submitted ballots were destroyed in Vancouver, Washington
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel votes to ban UN agency for Palestinians
Speed Read UNRWA provides food, medical care and other humanitarian assistance to Palestine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published