Newark Advertiser reader letter: The truth of COP summit promises

Last year I pointed out that the result of COP26 was only empty promises and likened them to the words in Simon and Garfunkel's song The Boxer, which says promises are “all lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”.

New Scientist has just published a report under the headline saying that No Countries Have Delivered On Promise (made at COP26) To Improve Climate Plans.

This is should probably not be surprising because no real promises were made and the wording of the document merely “urges” and “requests” that countries do so. It is just the sort of non-agreement that allowed everybody to agree.

In other words, it allowed a piece of paper to be waved around, enabling everybody to claim that they had saved the planet.

Lies or jests? Neville Chamberlain would have recognised it.

I hope that the activities of Vlad the Invader will result in more honesty when the Conference Of the Parties meets again in Sharm el Sheik in November, but I will not be holding my breath! ­— R. Sheppard, Beckingham.