Four people in overalls in the middle of the night, lit by the red of the flames that surround them. In front of them, a gigantic forest fire like there has been all summer around the globe. On the cover of Friday, October 28 of Guardian, the white of the letters contrasts with the apocalyptic atmosphere of the image. “The no return?” headlines the British daily.
A graph crosses the page, and summarizes the figures published on October 27 by the oil company Shell. One of Europe’s largest energy companies claimed to have made exceptional profits in the last quarter, a record that the company Total also seems to be observing.
“Net income of global oil and gas producers is expected to double in 2022 to a record $4 trillion,” confirms the International Energy Agency (IEA). A statement that The Guardian justifies: “Oil and gas giants are seeing a surge in profits, thanks to demand that surged after Covid and since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The London title puts this observation into perspective with the latest reports published by the UN’s environmental agencies. “We’re living in really dark times”, laments the Swedish climatologist Johan Rockström, before adding: “The 1.5°C window is closing as I speak. It’s very hard !”
“We’re headed for a global catastrophe [et] towards levels of global warming harmful to the economy”, affirmed for his part Antonió Guterres, Wednesday, October 26. The UN Secretary General then called on all G20 countries, responsible for 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions, to lead by example.
Plans of action planned by governments by 2030, executed as planned, would still cause global warming to increase by 2.5°C, “which condemns the world to catastrophic climate change”alert The Guardian.
A solidarity more fragile than ever
The researchers themselves affirm it: more than ever since the Second World War, there is a need for collective action. “But in terms of our ability to act together, we are going through a low point never reached in our entire history”, regretted Johan Rockström.
However, scientists agree that every gesture in favor of the preservation of the climate is not to be neglected. Dave Reay, professor at the University of Edinburgh, measures the impact of the slightest commitment: “Each fraction of a degree gained means considerable damage avoided for future generations.”
It is time for action, almost a week before the opening of COP27 on climate change, which will be held in Egypt from November 6 to 18, 2022. An event to which “the new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, will not participate”, highlighted The Guardian.