Climate change: what Belarusians think about it?

12 November 2021, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP-26) that grabbed attention of not only climate experts, heads of states, governments and big companies, but also activists, civil society representatives and ordinary people, came to a close in Glasgow.

As a result of challenging negotiations the Climate Change Conference participants adopted the final document, which, according to the UN Secretary-General, reflects “the interests, the conditions, the contradictions and the state of political will in the world today.”   “It is an important step, but it is not enough,” António Guterres said in his video message published at the end of the two-week conference.

“Climate change is no longer a future problem.   It is a “now” problem,”  said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “To have any chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, we have eight years to almost halve greenhouse gas emissions. We have eight years to make the plans, put in place the policies, implement them, and ultimately deliver the cuts.  We are racing against the clock.”

Despite the criticism of decisions adopted at the Summit because of the lack of meaningful progress, the states still made a number of concrete commitments: to cut emissions of methane and transit to clean energy, to stop using coal and transit to zero-emission cars, to end the sale of fossil fuel powered heavy duty vehicles, to halt and reverse deforestation.

But how do ordinary people of Belarus, who belong to different generations, professions and live in different localities, feel the effects of climate change at the level of everyday life?

What actions do they propose to take on their job, in school and at home to counteract the disturbing effects of human-caused climate change?

Watch the video dedicated to the problem of climate change in the Republic of Belarus to learn what they say about it: https://cutt.ly/YTx7Gdp