42 Small Countries Will 'Disappear' If No Action Is Taken Against Climate Change: Commonwealth Secretary General

The Commonwealth's Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, has warned the world about 42 small countries that are on the verge of 'disappearance' and asked everyone to take strict action against cimate change right away. In an interview that she gave on Wednesday, October 13, she urged the world leaders to think about this, especially keeping in mind the upcoming Glasgow Climate Change Conference that begins on October 31.

"We Are All In The Same Storm"

The Times of India quoted the news agency AFP as saying that Baroness Scotland visited Rome recently, where she also met Pope Francis. There, she gave this alarming heads-up to the world about climate change's dangerous consequences. "The threat to 42 small states in existential, people say that as if it does not mean what it says what it says- namely these small states will disappear," she said. Adding to this claim, she said some of the Pacific islands under the Commonwealth such as Tuvalu, Nauru, etc. are in grave danger at the moment due to the unprecedented rise in sea levels, resulting in people looking for refuge.

Not just that, she also pointed to the devastating impact 'Hurricane Maria' had on her home island, Dominica, in 2017. She said, "Dominica usually looks like a Garden of Eden. But after 2017's Hurricane Maria, even the bark of trees had been stripped, there was not one green leaf left. It was like Armageddon." In the end, she added that everyone is in the same 'storm', but not the same 'boat'. The poorer nations are suffering and it is time for the world to join hands and take action now against climate change's detrimental effects.

Importance of Glasgow Climate Talk

The all-important UN talk on Climate Change is set to be held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12 where leaders from 197 countries will participate. This conference, being held after a gap of two years, is called COP26.

COP26 summit comes just months after the United Nations report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed that the world was warming faster than previously thought. With climate change keeping the world leaders, environmentalists and scientists concerned, expectations are higher from the COP this year.

With many countries from the Commonwealth joining in, this development makes it all the more crucial for the world to focus on. Baroness Scotland also stressed that the the humanity has 'no choice' but to act right now, before our future generations have to bear its repercussions.

Also Read: Climate Change: Everyone's Business For The Present And The Future Generation