ULTIMATELY THE CLIMATE COMES DOWN TO A SINGLE NUMBER: THE CONCENRATION OF CARBON IN OUR ATMOSPHERE, THE MEASURE THAT GREATLY DETERMINES GLOBAL TEMPERATURE. AND THE CHANGES IN THAT ONE NUMBER IS THE CLEAREST WAY TO CHART OUR OWN STORY. IT DEFINES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD. FOR MUCH OF HUMANITY’S ANCIENT HISTORY, THAT NUMBER BOUNCED WILDLY BETWEEN 180 AND 300 AND SO TOO DID GLOBAL TEMPERATURES. IT WAS A BRUTAL AND UNPREDICTABLE WORLD. AT TIMES OUR ANCESTORS EXISTED ONLY IN TINY NUMBERS.

BUT JUST OVER 10,000 YEARS AGO THAT NUMBER SUDDENLY STABILIZED AND WITH IT, EARTH’S CLIMATE. WE FOUND OURSELVES IN AN UNUSUALLY BENIGN PERIOD WITH PREDICTABLE SEASONS AND RELIABLE WEATHER. FOR THE FIRST TIME, CIVILIZATION WAS POSSIBLE AND WE WASTED NO TIME IN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT. EVERYTHING WE’VE ACHIEVED IN THE LAST 10,000 YEARS WAS ENABLED BY THE STABILITY OF THE CLIMATE. DURING THIS TIME.

THE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE HAS NOT WAVERED OVER THIS PERIOD BY MORE THAN 1C UNTIL NOW. OUR BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS AND OUR DESTRUCTION OF NATURE ARE RELEASING CARBON INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AT AN UNPRECEDENTED PACE AND WE ARE ALREADY IN TROUBLE. THE STABILITY WE ALL DEPEND ON IS BREAKING. THIS STORY IS ONE OF INEQUALITY AS WELL AS INSTABILITY. TODAY, THOSE WHO HAVE DONE THE LEAST TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM ARE BEING THE HARDEST HIT. ULTIMATELY ALL OF US WILL FEEL THE IMPACTS SOME OF WHICH ARE NOW UNAVOIDABLE.

WE THINK WE HAVE CONTROL. WE ACTUALLY HAVE NO CONTROL. I AM ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED. ABSOLUTELY! IS THIS HOW OUR STORY IS DUE TO END? A TALE OF THE SMARTEST SPECIES DOOMED BY THAT ALL TOO HUMAN CHARACTERISTIC OF FAILING TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE IN PURSUIT OF SHORT TERM GOALS?

PERHAPS THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE MOST AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE ALIVE TODAY – PERHAPS THAT WILL GIVE US THE IMPETUS WE NEED TO RE-WRITE OUR STORY. TO TURN THIS TRAGEDY INTO A TRIUMPH. WE ARE AFTER ALL THE GREATEST PROBLEM SOLVERS TO HAVE EVER EXISTED ON EARTH.

WE NOW UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM. WE KNOW HOW TO STOP THE NUMBER RISING. WE MUST RECAPTURE BILLIONS OF TONS OF CARBON FROM THE AIR. WE MUST FIX OUR SIGHT ON KEEPING 1.5C WITHIN REACH. A NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION POWERED BY MILLIONS OF SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS IS ESSENTIAL. AND IT IS INDEED ALREADY BEGINNING.

WE WILL ALL SHARE IN THE BENEFITS OF AFFORDABLE CLEAN ENERGY. HEALTHY AIR AND ENOUGH FOOD TO SUSTAIN US ALL. NATURE IS A KEY ALLY. WHEREVER WE RESTORE THE WILD, IT WILL RECAPTURE CARBON AND HELP US BRING BACK BALANCE TO OUR PLANET.

WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NO NATION HAS COMPLETED DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE NO ADVANCED NATION IS YET SUSTAINABLE.