Scolded for doing little, leader after leader promised the United Nations on Monday to do more to prevent a warming world from reaching even more dangerous levels.
As they made their pledges at the Climate Action Summit, though, they and others conceded it was not enough. And even before they spoke, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg shamed them over and over for their inaction: 害羞草研究所淗ow dare you?害羞草研究所�
Sixty-six countries have promised to have more ambitious climate goals, and 30 swore to be carbon neutral by midcentury, said Chilean President Sebastian Pinera Echenique, who is hosting the next climate negotiations later this year.
Businesses and charities also got in on the act, at times even going bigger than major nations. Microsoft founder Bill Gates announced Monday that his foundation, along with The World Bank and some European governments, would provide $790 million in financial help to 300 million of the world害羞草研究所檚 small farmers adapt to climate change. The Gates foundation pledged $310 million of that.
害羞草研究所淭he world can still prevent the absolute worst effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing new technologies and sources of energy,害羞草研究所� Gates said. 害羞草研究所淏ut the effects of rising temperatures are already under way.害羞草研究所�
As the day went on Monday and the promises kept coming, the United States seemed out in the cold.
Before world leaders made their promises in three-minute speeches, the 16-year-old Thunberg gave an emotional appeal in which she scolded the leaders with her repeated phrase, 害羞草研究所淗ow dare you?害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭his is all wrong. I shouldn害羞草研究所檛 be up here,害羞草研究所� said Thunberg, who began a lone protest outside the Swedish parliament more than a year ago that culminated in Friday害羞草研究所檚 global climate strikes.
害羞草研究所淚 should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you have come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e are in the beginning of a mass extinction and yet all you can talk about is money,害羞草研究所� Thunberg said. 害羞草研究所淵ou are failing us.害羞草研究所�
Later, she and 15 other youth activists filed a formal complaint with an arm of the U.N. that protects children, saying that governments害羞草研究所� lack of action on warming is violating their basic rights.
Outside experts say they heard a lot of talk Monday but not the promised action needed to keep warming to a few tenths of a degree. They say it won害羞草研究所檛 produce the dramatic changes the world requires.
害羞草研究所淪ometimes I feel that Greta is still out in front of the Swedish parliament out on her own,害羞草研究所� said Stanford University害羞草研究所檚 Rob Jackson, who chairs the Global Carbon Project, which targets carbon emissions across the world.
READ MORE: 16-year-old Swedish activist sails across Atlantic to attend climate meeting
害羞草研究所淭he ball they are moving forward is a ball of promises,害羞草研究所� said economist John Reilly, co-director of MIT害羞草研究所檚 Joint Center for Global Change. 害羞草研究所淲here the 害羞草研究所榖all害羞草研究所� of actual accomplishments is, is another question.害羞草研究所�
Of all the countries that came up short, World Resources Institute Vice-President Helen Mountford said one stood out: the United States for 害羞草研究所渘ot coming to the table and engaging.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檝e seen so far is not the kind of climate leadership we need from the major economies,害羞草研究所� Mountford said. She did say, however, that businesses, as well as small- and medium-sized countries had 害羞草研究所渆xciting initiatives.害羞草研究所�
Nations such as Finland and Germany promised to ban coal within a decade. Several also mentioned goals of climate neutrality 害羞草研究所� when a country is not adding more heat-trapping carbon to the air than is being removed by plants and perhaps technology 害羞草研究所� by 2050.
The Associated Press
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