The man who drafted the historic Paris Agreement says that the planet is at a critical crossroads with the climate emergency in danger of running out of control. Andrew Higham, an Australian ecologist and political strategist was responsible for putting together the landmark agreement five years ago, which saw almost 200 countries agree to limit global warming to well below 2C. Those countries were due to meet in Glasgow later this year at the Conference of the Parties, COP26, but that summit has now been postponed for a year and with some countries fighting the very real threat of COVID-19, climate change has taken a back seat. However the pause button being pressed on decision making has frustrated the Paris Agreement’s author. Speaking to Sky News, Andrew Higham said: “It’s understandable there are a lot of distractions. The pandemic is a distraction and it’s quite understandable the government needs to treat that as its first priority. “On the other hand, there is a strategic imperative for the government to take climate and its commitment to the COP as a really serious commitment and an opportunity. And I see a fragmented government, I see a lack of coordination. “The UK has a strong commitment to net zero. It’s not leveraging those advantages. “It’s not taking the bold leadership that we would have expected in international forums and in its diplomatic outreach. There is an opportunity for a more cohesive approach. A more visionary approach from the UK.” Individually we can make a difference, but together we can make change. Did you know you and your business can go Net Zero today by offsetting using one of iOffset’s affordable monthly subscriptions.