Lacking a Sense of Urgency

Meet Enrique Lendo Jr. He is only 10 years old and currently attending 5th grade in one of the largest cities of the world. As the COP25 climate negotiations come to a close in Madrid, I went to his Christmas festival at school. This will be the second climate COP I miss since 2007 when the negotiations to update the Kyoto Protocol began in Bally. Latter we struggled with Copenhagen, were relived in Durban and celebrated in Paris. We stopped and rebounded in Cancun, where I helped to organize and facilitate the negotiations under Patricia Espinosa who now leads the UNFCCC Secretariat.

Despite many discomforts in chaotic Mexico City, Enrique is a happy and grateful boy. Like most kids of his age today, he spends a lot of time watching youtubers, Marvel films and posting videos in Tik Tok. He has many friends, plays soccer in the weekends and takes guitar lessons during the week. He has shared with me that one day he will become a biochemist. He respects nature, admires animals and has a good understanding of environmental problems. When I see Greta Thunberg addressing heads of state at a conference, next to the UN Secretary General, my son Enrique immediately comes to my mind. Not because I would like Enrique to be like Greta but because she carries the voice of many kids who, like my son, are only hoping for a shot in life. I am sure most of you can relate to this feeling.

This past Wednesday, Greta Thunberg was chosen by Time magazine as the “Person of the Year”. It is a distinction granted to presidents, monarchs, business leaders and scientist since 1927 for their influence in the events of the year. The young activist has influenced millions around the world from school children to politicians with a short and powerful message: “We can’t just continue living as if there was no tomorrow, because there is a tomorrow”.

Curiously, it was a Time magazine cover what define my professional career back in 1992. I was a junior in college, majoring in economics and influenced by my father who was an important government official during the time that Mexico engaged in free market economics and trade liberalization. My heart was with natural sciences, but my mind was with the pragmatism of securing a position in an emerging country. By chance, I ran into a Time magazine issue dedicated to the Rio Summit which planted in me the seed that years later became my drive.

Since then, I have devoted my entire career to advancing the sustainable development agenda both in my country and in the framework of international cooperation instruments. As a member of my country′s negotiation team, I have supported presidents and ministers to champion some important pieces of the international climate agenda such as the GCF in 2010 and the high-level carbon pricing initiatives of 2015. I integrated the negotiation position of my country for close to a thousand meeting in different environmental and sustainability issues and yet my frustration remains. I understand Greta when she complains about our lack of “sense of urgency” in the face of a climate crisis.

It is indeed frustrating that after thousands of meeting, trillions of dollars spent, sound climate science produced, laws, projects and policies implemented all over the world, we are not far away from where we started back in 1992 with the launch of the UNFCCC in Rio. Greenhouse gas emissions have doubled ever since and most of the energy produced globally continues to come from fossil fuels. According to the IPCC, global temperature has increased 1°C with respect to preindustrial times. Impacts are already being suffered by millions throughout the world and yet we won′t weak up. 

I woke up this morning with the news that negotiation at the COP25 in Madrid failed due to differences in financing, market-non market instruments and loss and damages. I do not believe that the climate crisis will be solved only at the UN, but that forum certainly gages the political will of many countries. In the end, it all comes down to political decisions and it is surprising that many politicians and leaders still disregard the importance of the climate crisis. But make no mistake, we are all responsible for not being able to convey the message with the energy it deserves and trhough the audiences that could make the difference. We have mastered climate science, innovated clean technologies and developed ingenues regulatory and financing mechanisms but, we have not been able to convince consumers and voters so that politicians and corporations are driven to reinvent their principles. 

Now a 16-year-old teenager might be helping to change the status quo. This certainly brings a glimpse of hope because the youth are the decision makers of today′s world. They are the most educated and connected generation in the history, boosting productivity in labor markets, disrupting economies as entrepreneurs and innovators, and influencing millions from school children to politicians. Young people who are less than 30 years old, will become the decision makers of the next decade in all aspects of life, many of them already are. At the workplace, in the family, as scientist, politicians, innovators and entrepreneurs they will define the profile of the global economy and the burden on the planet′s carrying capacity. We can only hope that they will drive the transformation at the speed required and that, as adults, we are receptive enough to leverage from their energy before it is too late. For time is running out; global emissions must peak by 2030 and be neutral by 2050 if we are to reach the 1.5°C temperature increase target recommended by science

I have done this job for over two decades now. I have heard speeches from all sort of leaders including heads of state and CEOs of global corporations, scientists and Nobel prize winners, world class activists and movie stars and also a lot of international bureaucrats. But it was not until I stopped writing climate change speeches for my President or my Minister, or integrating negotiation proposals and projects form my country, and went to enjoy my son play soccer or dance at a school festival that I understood the importance of what we do and the tremendous responsibility that we have with them.

In 2030 my son Enrique will turn 20 years old. I am sure he will be a junior in college studding biochemistry or whatever he chooses to get a shot in life. I only wonder if by then, he will judge us for the same reasons that Greta Thunberg is judging us right now, or if he will just carry on with his life because we acted responsibly to ensure a better world for them.

Twenty twenty will be a defining year for the climate agenda. The Paris Agreement will become operational and parties must update their NDCs towards net-cero emissions by 2050. It marks the beginning of a new era of commitment and ambition to address one of the greatest challenges of this century. I trust the voice of Greta will be heard in all corners of the world and my son Enrique will get the shot in life that we all deserve. 

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