Obama called on young people to not be angry about the failure to fulfill the pledges made under the 2015 Paris Agreement. But activists quickly pointed out the many broken promises by Obama’s own administration. This included the failure to deliver $100 billion (PS73bn a year) in climate finance to poorer countries.
He also quoted Shakespeare, who was English. He admitted there is still a lot of hard and messy work to do to reduce the effects of climate change, but said some promising progress had been made in the six years since the signing of the Paris Agreement, which he helped spearhead. Mr Obama dedicated much of his speech to young activists, who he said were “right to be frustrated”. Addressing young people directly, he said they “can’t ignore politics” and that while protesting and hashtags raise awareness, they should get involved in politics at some level. You don’t have to be happy about it, but it’s something you cannot ignore.
You can’t be too pure about [politics]. Referring to his daughters’ shopping habits, Obama called on young people not to be too strict about politics. “To all young people out there, I want you stay angry. He said, “I want you to remain frustrated.” “But channel your anger. Use that frustration.
For more and more, keep pushing yourself harder. That’s how you meet the challenge. You should train for a marathon and not a sprint. “He honored the dedication of activists like Greta Thunberg, and urged young people at least to get out and vote against climate change. He said, “Vote as if your life depends upon it, because it does”. Mr Obama had some harsh words for the Republican Party.
He said that Republicans who are serious about climate change are a “rare breed”. The 44th US president stated that climate change is a difficult and messy issue and that every victory will not be achieved. “The thing that we have going for ourselves is that humanity has done difficult things before,” he stated, adding: “I believe it can be done again.” “Barack Obama’s speech at COP26 was a lesson in hope and doubt. While he lauded the climate change work of his administration and Joe Biden, he acknowledged that he wasn’t happy with the Trump administration’s performance in the past four years. He lamented the opposition Republicans have built to addressing climate change in the US, as well as the rise of nationalism and tribalism around the globe. However, he pointed to the efforts of states, local governments, and private citizens to fill that policy void. He praised the international cooperation that was evident in the Paris climate negotiations and in Glasgow during the past week, but he said more needs to be done. He admitted that he doesn’t know everything and sometimes gets discouraged. However, he said that the energy and efforts from young people give him hope for the future. This was a delicate balance for a former President who made “hope” and “change” his signature line.
The rhetoric was a reflection of the fragile nature of current US climate policies, which are dependent upon Democratic majorities that could disappear in coming elections, even though there is still much to do.
