In 2015, I visited Fiji, Kiribati, and Tuvalu, which had just been hit by a cyclone. There, I learned a slogan—"1.5 to stay alive"—which refers to the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold for global warming that, in theory, would avoid disastrous consequences. People living on the Pacific islands are well aware of the grave threat to humanity posed by climate change.
This was the sad reality seven years ago. It is even more so today. World leaders are gathered at the in Sharm el-Sheikh. It is past time for them to take action. This means rapidly reducing emissions through just transition pathways. To be clear, just a decade ago, supporting carbon removal was unthinkable for activists like me. Many, including myself, thought these strategies would be an excuse for the fossil fuel industry to avoid action.
Still, the idea of climate restoration—giving to the earth as much or more than we take—itself is squarely in line with ancient wisdom and indigenous knowledge, as well as with the needs of affected communities. Protection is step one. Clean-up and revitalisation are step two.and sequestration—a technology and approach led by fossil fuel industry giants that is not delivering on its promise to reduce emissions but instead has been used by these corporations to pollute more.