Climate change - it's now or never

There. We’ve said it.

We tend to hover around the facts, vaguely outlining the impact on far away communities, doing our bit to recycle, eat less meat or use our cars less. We try not to talk to friends and family about it in case we’re accused of being too self-righteous.

It’s true that the facts can be scary, overwhelming, paralysing. But the reality is that:

• this century has already seen 17 of the 18 hottest years on record; 
• annually since 2008, climate-related disasters has displaced 22 million people across the world; 
• climate change could push an extra 50 million people into hunger by 2050; 
• global flooding could triple by 2030. 
   

The facts speak for themselves.

But these facts are not just words on a page, or numbers crunched on a spreadsheet. They are the reality of women, men and children around the world living with the daily impact of climate change. Women, men and children who have done the least to contribute to the devastation that climate change brings.

Our partners have been telling us about the impacts of climate change for over 10 years. They have told us about its impact on their efforts to tackle poverty, about how it chips away at their resilience and threatens their livelihoods.

Here's another reality. It doesn't have to be this way.

Making positive change in our world can be challenging. But it’s never been more important to be hopeful, to stand in solidarity and know that change is possible. And there’s so much inspiration around!

People are taking to the streets to demand urgent climate action, school kids are striking to push governments and leaders to take the issue seriously, campaigners are calling on their MSPs and MPs for stronger legislation and ambition on climate change.

In Scotland, Christian Aid campaigners are speaking to their MSPs about the Scottish Climate Bill which is currently making its way through Scottish Parliament. They are calling for bolder targets and the action needed to achieve them, spurred on by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland’s ‘Act for Our Future’ campaign. These targets include reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest.

Campaigners across the whole of the UK have been asking MPs to update the UK Climate Change Act. This would bring it in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement and with latest science so that we can keep global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees.

We hope you understand the need to act now.

And we need your help to make some noise about the urgency - to your community, to decision makers in Scotland and the UK and to global world leaders.

In Scotland you can:

• Get involved with Climate Fringe's online events leading up to COP26

On a global scale:

• Ask the World Bank to show climate leadership through our Big Shift Global campaign

Whatever you do - large or small - do something.