5 Reasons Why 2021 Is the Most Important Year Ever in the Fight Against Climate Change

NASA reports that 2020 tied 2016 for the hottest year in recorded history, but we can’t say that really comes as a shock. All 10 of the hottest years in NASA’s records have happened since 2005, and the top seven have occurred since 2014. When a Siberian town above the Arctic Circle sees temperatures rocket past 100˚F, you know something has gone very wrong. The Earth’s average temperature has now risen 2˚F since the late 1800s—and if we don’t drastically reduce carbon emissions, the earth could be “nearly unlivable” for up to 3 billion people by 2070.

Scorching global temperatures are an obvious indication that climate change is a threat to all of us, no matter where we live. Which is why all governments on this planet need to work together in common purpose to reduce carbon emissions. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement was a hopeful moment when it seemed like that kind of cooperation was finally possible. Then… the Trump Administration decided to pull out, leaving the accord in limbo. So it’s good news for the world that, under President Biden, the US officially rejoined on February 19. Of course, now the hard work of drastically cutting emissions begins.

All indications so far are that the new president and his team full of climate experts are taking climate change seriously. He signed numerous climate-related executive orders upon taking office, ensuring, among other things, that the climate will be a centerpiece of foreign policy, national security, and domestic planning, while also reinstating many of the planet-friendly regulations that had been dismantled by the previous administration. This “whole of government” approach to climate planning seems to be rubbing off on businesses as well. More and more corporate leaders, pushed by shareholders demanding action, are lining up to fight climate change.

All that is taking place in a world that has been transformed by renewable energy. This fall, solar energy became the cheapest source of electricity in history. Which is… amazing. But it’s also part of a trend that dates back years now, as coal has collapsed and other fossil fuels fall out of favor. The world has increasingly turned to renewables, manufacturing more batteries, more wind turbines, more solar panels, and all that investment has led to a consistent decrease in cost. The IEA (International Energy Agency) reported that almost 90% of new electricity generation last year was renewable—and that we’re on track for renewables to be the world’s largest source of power by 2025.

It’s a time of massive upheaval and needed change, which makes it the perfect time to bring back all the nations of the world for the next big climate change conference. COP 26 (the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties) will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. This is the world’s best chance since Paris in 2015 to make some real, tangible progress on cutting emissions, fighting for climate justice, and ensuring a fair and just transition to a green, net-zero economy. In Glasgow, we need to make sure that protecting the world’s most vulnerable populations is on the agenda. We need to act together. And we need to act now.