What the climate crisis did to my grandmother’s house must not become humanity’s new normal – Africa Science News

By Simon Stiell

Today, I’m standing in the living room of my neighbour’s house. My own grandmother’s house down the street has been destroyed.

Initial reports are that 98% of homes and buildings have been either destroyed or severely damaged by this most recent record-breaking hurricane Beryl.

Being back home in Carriacou, my community is experiencing the devastation that has become all too familiar to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

I’m also inspired by the resilience of people here and around the world. The survivors of climate-driven disasters – who tell me that that material possessions are not as important as the air in their lungs, and the safety of their family and friends.

From the largest and most developed nation to the smallest and most vulnerable. Whether it’s my home island of Carriacou, the United States, India, Kenya or any country on earth – what happens in the next three months, the next three years to the families still living under a tarpaulin, still in debt to the bank for a home that no longer stands, as the next brutal storm, flood or wildfire approaches, fueled by the climate crisis.

Alternatively, the endless debt cycles of governments borrowing to rebuild, only to face another climate-inflicted disaster, forced to borrow again to rebuild their battered infrastructure, to divert scarce resources from education, health, and development.

Tragically, this upheaval of lives and livelihoods from Beryl is not unique. It is the growing cost of unchecked climate carnage, in every country on Earth.

Globally, these storms have never been so powerful or so frequent, floods so sudden and destructive, and fires and droughts so devastating and costly, in the immediate and longer term.

Just in the past month, we’ve seen heatwaves with four-figure death tolls in India. Over a thousand pilgrims died on their Hajj to Mecca this year.

Two years ago, one-third of Pakistan was underwater, over a thousand people lost their lives, millions were displaced, and 3.5 million children were out of school.

In the Caribbean and USA, Beryl delivered a double blow of climate-driven pain: home-destroying force, leaving millions without power in Texas alone, amid health-endangering heat.

These colossal climate costs have reached the level of severe national security threat in every country.

These climate-driven disasters don’t just cripple lives and communities when they hit.  They inflict huge ongoing costs the world over.

A recent report put the costs of inaction at $38 trillion a year, until 2050. The same report says climate action will cost less than a sixth of that.

Climate impacts have pushed down global food production and pushed up food prices and other costs of living.

Beryl is yet more painful proof: every year, fossil-fuel-driven climate costs are an economic wrecking ball hitting billions of households and small businesses.

If governments everywhere don’t step up, every economy and 8 billion people will be facing this blunt force trauma head-on, continuously.

Rather than just counting the costs of climate carnage; all governments must supercharge efforts to prevent them. This means all governments must put climate action back at the top of cabinet agendas.

First of all, we must stop making things worse. We must slash fossil fuel pollution now, and halve it this decade, as science demands.

The G20 are responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas pollution.  They must lead the way with game-changing new national climate plans – due early next year – which deliver on the promise every country made last year to transition away from all fossil fuels.

We need stronger adaptation plans, building resilience and protecting communities, economies, supply chains and company bottom lines, currently getting hammered by global heating.

Finally, climate action is an investment, not a cost, delivering returns on investment in new, clean infrastructure and generating economic growth.

Climate justice requires much bolder climate actions that deliver real economy and real-life results.

Standing here, it’s impossible not to recognise the vital importance of delivering climate finance, funding loss and damage, and investing massively in building resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable.

The UN is working around the clock to play our part – bringing all nations together to agree on bolder actions, and with vital practical measures on the ground like extending Early Warning Systems to every person on Earth.

Our determination is unwavering. We will not relent.

On this tiny island, as in the biggest cities of the world, I see determination also in the eyes of people from all walks of life. Determination not to take this climate crisis lying down, or to accept half-measures.

To people around the world, we need your help more than ever, to get more action from your governments and business leaders. The only way out of this is together.  What the climate crisis did to my grandmother’s house must not become humanity’s new normal. We can still prevent that, but only if people everywhere speak up, and demand bolder climate actions now, before it’s too late.

The writer is the Executive Secretary, UN Climate Change