Joshua Parfitt
THE international community’s forum to fight climate change, COP25, has begun today in Madrid.
The summit aims to complete the implementation of the Paris Accord, ratified by nearly 200 countries in 2015.
The pact sought near-global unity in measures to reduce so-called greenhouse gas emissions, and contain global warming to below 2° above pre-industrial temperatures.
The Accord was intended to avoid potentially catastrophic results of global warming.
However, governments worldwide still need ‘more ambition’ to tackle the issue, according to UN secretary general António Guterres.
He said countries need to triple their current efforts, at the very least.
Greenhouse gas emissions have no fallen since the 1992 signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Some 50 world leaders will attend the opening ceremony in Madrid today, kick-starting the two-week event.
Social activists – especially Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg – are expected to make headlines.
The 16-year-old already caused a sensation when she sailed across the Atlantic to attend the climate summit – which was then cancelled in Brazil and Chile, forcing Greta to make a transatlantic U-turn.
She previously reached out to well-wishers in Spain who could provide a lift to the summit as she refuses to fly in a bid to save carbon emissions.
READ MORE: Teen activist Greta Thunberg asks for ‘lift to Spain’ for Madrid
