Russia's invasion of Ukraine poses threat to fight against climate change – Angus Robertson MSP

Climate change is back in the headlines. The International Panel on Climate Change, the body made up of the world’s leading scientists and researchers on the isuse, has just issued a report into how the world will be affected.

The IPCC report, the first after COP26 in Glasgow, is the second in a series of three commissioned by the UN to provide information on the effects of climate change.

The first, released last summer, outlined the catastrophic effect human activity is having on the climate. The new report examines the causes, impacts and potential solutions.

The report warns that over 40 per cent of the world’s population are “highly vulnerable” to consequences of climate change, and that we are being pushed beyond our ability to adapt to more extreme weather, droughts, fires, rising sea levels and other worrying occurrences.

The scale of our task to keep warming below 1.5 degrees is enormous but, as we saw four months ago in Glasgow, there is commitment from organisations and countries around the world to meet this challenge.

Pertinently, to tackle the issues of climate change, we must also solve conflicts that prevent partnership.

Sadly, the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced the Ukrainian delegation of scientists to pull out before the report was finished, though they implored the group to carry on.

One sign of climate change is that wildfires, like this one in California, have increased significantly in many parts of the world (Picture: David McNew/Getty Images)

The Russian delegation of scientists said the invasion was not supported by their scientists, who argued conducting scientific research would be “unthinkable” without global cooperation.

The courage of the Russian scientists to speak out needs to be emulated to ensure global cooperation in tackling climate change can continue.

Angus Robertson is the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary

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