As the COP26 negotiations in Glasgow wind down, Food & Water Watch Policy Director Mitch Jones released the following statement: 

“The haggling over the drafts of the conference agreement only underscores how far political leaders are from introducing meaningful plans to address this planetary crisis. Governments that cannot directly and forcefully confront the fossil fuel industry are doing nothing but advertising their failure. Even a call to stop government fossil fuel subsidies a modest but necessary first step — had to be weakened in order to coddle corporate polluters.

“It was heartening to see some renewed enthusiasm for strong policies to limit the global supply of fossil fuels. The 10-nation Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance represents the approach that must prevail across the world if we are to have a realistic chance at averting further catastrophe.

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“The egregious failure to achieve even modest, voluntary agreements is disappointing, but not surprising. All the more reason that real climate action must not wait, especially here in the United States. The Biden administration has tools at its disposal that it is simply failing to use. This White House should fulfill its campaign promise to stop oil and gas drilling on public lands, put an end to oil and gas exports, and stop approving new dirty energy power plants and pipelines. If President Biden believes we are in an emergency, he should act accordingly.”