Hugh Jackman Is Making An Impassioned Plea Ahead Of The COP26 Summit
The stakes are high at this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Several scientific advisors and influential individuals are urging world leaders to attend the conference with utmost sincerity. The world has its eyes on the event's key developments, hoping leaders would devise and follow up on plans that can reduce global carbon emissions to counter the threat of global warming.
Over the past few days, we have seen Prince Harry and his father, Prince Charles, talking about why it is crucial to intervene in climate change. Charles' request to world leaders has been to "translate fine words into still finer action." Previously, Queen Elizabeth criticized world leaders for their inaction around the environment. "I've been hearing all about COP ... still don't know who is coming. No idea. We only know about people who are not coming ... It's really irritating when they talk, but they don't do," she said during a reported October conversation (via The Guardian).
However, the royals aren't the only ones who have been vocal about the importance of the ongoing Glasgow summit, which started on October 31 and will continue until November 12. Hollywood is concerned too. And now, Hugh Jackman has made a passionate plea to world leaders of the COP26 summit. The actor released a video message with some strong words.
Hugh Jackman called the summit 'one of the most important meetings of world leaders in our time'
In his video tweet on November 1, Hugh Jackman spoke directly to his fans in a front-facing video, explaining that there have been "a lot of these summits" in recent years, but that the COP26 summit was "one of the most important meetings of world leaders in our time," and that "the consequences ... will affect the future of our planet."
"The stakes could not be higher," he continued. "And I speak today as a citizen of the world and also as an Australian citizen because our prime minister and his team are there. I am relieved that they finally agreed to go and I am relieved that they have committed Australia to a net-zero emissions target by 2050," he said. "But that feels like the bare minimum. ... From everything I am reading, it feels like the commitments Australia have made need to go further."
Jackman further pointed out that he was proud of Australia for coming together to battle the coronavirus pandemic. "This is an Australian ethos — we call it a fair go for all," he added. "So, as an Australian citizen, I am asking our representatives to go to the COP26 climate summit with that ethos to make sure that when this summit is done, we have a fair go for everyone everywhere on this planet. "We need to come together. We need team planet Earth."