Boris Johnson says 'no compelling excuses' for not tackling climate change
November 1, 2021, 2:04 am

Boris Johnson says 'no compelling excuses' for not tackling climate change

Boris Johnson-UK

The BBC reported, Boris Johnson has warned world leaders there are "no compelling excuses" for failing to tackle climate change.

Speaking at the close of the G20 summit in Rome, he said some progress was made in the past few days - but there was still a "huge way" to go.

The BBC said that world leaders were meeting in Rome to discuss what can be done to keep global warming in check, ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Mr Johnson added immediate action was needed to halve emissions by 2030.

In Rome, the leaders of the 19 countries and the European Union, which form the G20 group of major economies, agreed to pursue efforts to limit global warming with "meaningful and effective actions".

The prime minister said: "There are no compelling excuses for our procrastination.

"Not only have we acknowledged the problem, we have already seen first hand the devastation that climate change causes - heatwaves and droughts to wildfires and hurricanes."

Referring to a treaty on climate change that came from a previous COP summit in 2015, he said: "If we don't act now, the Paris Agreement will be looked at in the future, not as the moment that humanity opened its eyes to the problem but the moment we flinched and turned away."

A report by the World Meteorological Organisation, released alongside the start of COP26, said extreme weather events - including powerful heatwaves and devastating floods - were the new normal.

The two-week summit, which began on Sunday and runs until 12 November, will see delegates from about 200 countries discuss how to cut emissions by 2030.

It was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Johnson acknowledged the G20 had "made some progress" but said there was still "a huge way still to go".

Asked what he thought the chances were of success at COP26, the prime minister said it was "about six out of 10, it's nip and tuck, it's touch and go".

He added the target of keeping the rise in global temperatures under 1.5C was "very much in the balance".

Scientists say that keeping global warming below 1.5C - a target world leaders agreed to work towards in 2015 - will avoid the worst climate impacts.

Mr Johnson said: "Currently, let's be in no doubt, we are not going to hit it and we have to be honest with ourselves," adding, "So we've got to keep that hope alive."

Source: BBC

COVID in India: Over 100 New Delhi kids orphaned and 2,500 lost one parent 17 people injured after guy dressed as Joker character attacked passengers on Tokyo train line

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”