By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 4: US President Joe Biden at the UN summit on Tuesday called out Chinese and Russian leadership for not attending the COP26 summit in Glasgow this year. “The fact that China is trying to assert, understandably, a new role in the world as a world leader — not showing up, come on! It just is a gigantic issue and they walked away. How do you do that and claim to be able to have any leadership?” Biden lashed out at China, adding that it has been a “big mistake” for not showing up.
Chinese president Xi Jinping has been accused of not prioritising his commitment to reduce emissions as China is still one of the largest emitters of carbon waste. The CCP supremo has not travelled outside of China since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. US officials had initially expected to meet Xi at the G-20 summit in Rome last month. Biden further promised to zero out carbon emissions by 2050, although his administration faces major logistical issues in the US.
The world leaders at COP26, the two-week conference on global campaign on climate change, are currently in discussion with activists, journalists, scientists and environmentalists. President Biden also called out Russian President Vladimir Putin for skipping the summit. “His tundra is burning — literally, the tundra is burning. He has serious, serious climate problems, and he is mum on willingness to do anything,” he remarked.
However, China on Wednesday fired back at the US government as spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “What we need in order to deal with climate change is concrete action rather than empty words. China’s actions in response to climate change are real.” Wang further went on to say that Biden’s predecessor had done enough harm by pulling out of the Paris agreement as it undermined its implementation of the accord. Another top official of China, senior envoy to the UN, Zhang Jun, earlier said that confronting climate change would require more than “empty slogans, unchanging policies, luxury motorcades and crowded entourages.”
Actions always speak louder than words uttered with intent and yet no conviction. Given the number of folks flying in on private jets, that illustrates a point.
Climate change is not the only issue in a globalized world. Water rights, environmental pollution from industries and use of stockpile banned in the certain countries in places that are less fortunate is a rampant problem. When it comes to supply chain, it is likely that the Vietnamese manufacturing silicon chips, a highly polluting industry, are less likely to use them than someone who insists on upgrading their iPhone with every new version that comes out. Who is paying to clean up Chernobyl and Fukushima?
This is what we want to leave the next generation? Don’t be so surprised when they want to have nothing to do with you when you get Alzheimer’s.