At the end of October and early November, Glasgow will host COP26 (the 26th Conference of Parties, or UN Climate Change Conference). To have any chance of limiting warming to 1.5⁰C, global emissions MUST halve by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. The IPCC report earlier this year outlined how this can be achieved. Developed countries must help developing countries financially. Critically, the use of fossil fuels must cease. Irish people in theory support initiatives to mitigate against climate change. However, a recent Ipsos MRBI poll revealed that the majority of people polled do not support eight out of nine climate action measures, proposed to reduce carbon emissions, that would affect them personally (higher taxes on energy and fuel; higher taxes on air travel; risk of electricity supply interruptions; ban on building new data centres in Ireland; reducing the size of the national cattle herd; higher property taxes for homes that are not energy efficient; nationwide ban on burning smoky fuels like coal and peat; increasing cost of driving petrol and diesel cars). The tragedy and irony of this viewpoint is that by not making proactive changes to our lifestyles NOW will result in increased hardship in the not-too-distant future – escalating fuel and energy costs; increased floods, droughts and storms; food shortages. It is time now for action, not just lip service.