A report from the UN warns that countries’ current commitments would reduce carbon by only about 7.5% by 2030, far less than the 45% cut, which scientists say is needed to limit global temperature rises to 1.5℃, the aim of the COP26 summit (峰会).

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, described the findings as a “thundering wake-up call” to world leaders, while experts called for action against fossil fuel companies.

Although more than 100 countries have promised to reach net zero emissions (净零排放) around mid-century, this would not be enough to avoid climate disasters, according to the UN emissions report, which examines the shortfall (差额) between countries’ intentions and actions needed on the climate. Many of the net zero commitments were found to be unclear, and unless accompanied by strict cuts in emissions this decade would allow global heating of a potentially disastrous extent.

Gutierrez said: “The heat is on, and as the contents of the report show, the leadership we need is off. Far off. Countries are wasting a massive opportunity to invest Covid-19 finance and recovery resources in sustainable, cost-saving, planet-saving ways. As world leaders prepare for COP26, that is another thundering wake-up call. How many do we need?”

Inger Andersen, the director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said: “Climate change is no longer a future problem. It is a now problem. To stand a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5℃, we have 8 years to almost halve greenhouse gas emissions: 8 years to make the plans, put in place the policies, carry them out and deliver the cuts. The clock is ticking loudly.”

Emissions fell by about 5.4% last year during Covid lockdowns, the report found, but only about one-fifth of the economic recovery spending goes towards reducing carbon emissions. This failure to “build back better”, despite promises by governments around the world, cast doubt on the world’s willingness to make the economic shift necessary to settle the climate crisis, the UN said.

In the run-up (前期) to COP26, countries were supposed to submit (递交) national plans to cut emissions—called nationally determined contributions (NDCs) —for the next decade, a requirement under the 2015 Paris climate agreement. But the UNEP report found only half of countries had submitted new NDCs, and some governments had presented weak plans.

I wanted, in 1999, to be a “farmer’s wife”. Thankfully, after quick correction by my progressive parents, that gradually turned into “farmer”. But that only lasted until my dad told me I had to put my arms up cows’ backsides. Immediately I rethought my career path. Archaeologist followed, and driving instructor after that, then somewhere along the way, footballer.

I remember the exact moment when I said to my dad, “It makes me sad I can’t be a footballer.” He asked why not, and I answered, “Because I’m not a boy.” Looking back, I can see exactly why I felt like that. At school, there was an unwritten rule that sports like hockey and netball were “girl” sports and rugby and football were for the boys. Besides, I’d never seen a women’s football match on TV.

Representation is critical, and although we talk about it a lot, I’m yet to be convinced that those who were represented often fully understand what it means to those who aren’t, and how, without really realizing, it affects the general trajectory (轨迹) of their life. In the words of Marian Wright-Edelman, “______” Lack of representation leads, at best, to a misunderstanding around a certain group of people, or at worst, fear and discrimination.

Today, the Lionesses will take on Scotland in the FIFA World Cup, and people across the world will tune in. But, although women’s football has turned out to be one of FIFA’s best investments — with a pound for pound return, only £24 million prize money was awarded to the women’s World Cup victors in comparison to £315 million in the men’s. The most popular defence of those figures argues that it is because viewing statistics are lower than those played by their male counterparts, but the truth is, investment is needed for female football to become more visible and become an equally respected game.

I often wonder what path I would have taken if the option had not seemed so impossible. Today, I’ll be cheering on the Lionesses because talented, skillful female footballers will be broadcast into millions of homes and maybe, among the millions of viewers is a little girl believing that she too can be a Lionesses one day.

Recently, as the British doctor Robert Winston took a train from London to Manchester, he found himself having to listen to a loud conversation of a fellow passenger woman. Boiling with anger, Winston took her picture and sent it to his more than 40,000 followers on the Tweet. By the time the train reached the station in Manchester, some journalists were waiting for the woman. And when they showed her the doctor's messages, she used just one word to describe Winston's actions: rude.

Winston's tale is a good example of increasing rudeness, fueled by social media in our age. Studies show that rudeness spreads quickly and virally, almost like the common cold. Just witnessing rudeness makes it far more likely that we, in turn, will be rude later on. Once infected, we are more aggressive, less creative and worse at our jobs. The only way out is to make a conscious decision to do so. We must have the courage to call it out, face to face. We must say, "Just stop." For Winston, that would have meant approaching the woman, telling her that her conversation was frustrating other passengers and politely asking her to speak more quietly or make the call at another time.

The anger we feel at the rude behavior of a stranger can drive us to do out-of-place things. Research discovered that the acts of revenge (报复) people had taken ranged from the ridiculous to the disturbing. Winston did shine a spotlight on the woman's behavior—but in a way that shamed her.

When we see rudeness occur in public places, we must step up and say something. And we can do it with grace, by handling it without a bit of aggression and without being rude ourselves. Because once rude people can see their actions through the eyes of others, they are far more likely to end the rudeness themselves. As this wave of rudeness rises, civilization needs civility (举止文明).