COP26: victims of forest fires demand action from Australia, champion of coal

The demonstrations did not stop during the COP26, for ambitious decisions.

Here, Extinction Rebellion activists in Glasgow on November 8, 2021. REUTERS - HANNAH MCKAY

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

Already in its second week since Monday, November 8, the climate conference has increased announcements on deforestation, methane and coal.

Australia, however, refuses to stop building coal plants, despite forest fires ravaging the country.

Victims have come to make their voices heard, such as Jo Dodds, from the Forest Fire Survivors for Climate Action association.

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With our special correspondent in Glasgow,

“ 

 ”, summarizes Jo Dodds, present at COP26 to bring the voice of the victims of Australian forest fires. In 2018, a forest fire reduced to ashes part of the village of this Australian woman, Tathra, on an east coast which a year later would burn for months. She then decides to get involved:

“ 

 "

So she came to COP26.

Thanks to a social media appeal, his trip was funded by Australians who wanted to make their voices heard

I met two former Australian Prime Ministers, members of the opposition… I tell them: do more. And if you can't get your message across, bring someone in who saw their house burn down. Are they listening to me? I do not know. But in my opinion the Australian government realizes that the voice of the people who are suffering because of climate change is going to be problematic for them. Especially in elections. And I hope that will counterbalance the voice of the coal sector, which is extremely present, and very well paid.

What Australia has committed to so far is not enough.

Because we are a wealthy country and we emit a lot of greenhouse gases, but we are also extremely rich in resources like solar energy, so we could lead by example.

We have done this in the past in the area of ​​technology.

But I don't know why, we have stayed in the age of steam!

So I suggest to all of these people to do as much as possible.

Australia "could lead by example", but "we are in the steam age"

Christophe Paget

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Interesting announcements, but without action plans, it is useless

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The second week of negotiations already underway, civilians, association leaders and researchers want to put pressure on the actors for

.

While the impact of global warming on extreme phenomena, such as storms, is at the heart of negotiations in Glasgow, Rémy Slama, research director at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research) and environmental epidemiologist (Inserm) is also sounding the alarm on the impact on human health.

Rémy Slama, researcher at Inserm, sounds the alarm on the effects of global warming on human health

Valerie Cohen

For Laurence Tubiana, architect of the Paris agreement and president of the European Climate Foundation, this second week of negotiations at COP26 which is beginning is a real test of credibility for the UN process.

Saying that your country or company will be carbon neutral in 2050 is not enough, she gets angry.

"Many announcements are interesting, but if it is not supported by plans, it is useless", according to Laurence Tubiana, architect of the Paris agreement

Anne-Cécile Bras

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