Good news! Everyone is talking about climate change and it’s infiltrated nearly every agenda. The leaders of the world are talking about what can be done about the irrefutable evidence that the world’s climate is changing.

Good news! When all the top business people and other leaders were asked what should be the top priority in the year ahead a staggering 55% said it should be doing something about climate change.

So that’s the topic which is on everyone’s lips today. A lot of what’s been talked about makes sense but there are real issues. One person intends to make millions by selling environmentally friendly energy. Is this morally okay or someone just being opportunistic in a crises? They might change the world in the process – or even save the planet – but become a billionaire to boot – there’s a number of intriging ethical questions there!

Another person said that as more people were lifted out of poverty and became economically active so they would accelerate the damage to the climate. There was a real danger of any anti-poverty strategy destroying the planet and this presented a real danger to any action on climate change, he said. What rot!  Isn’t it amazing how the poor people always get blamed for everything.

His views weren’t popular but it demonstrates what can happen if we don’t have integrated policies.

All these discussions are incredibly interesting but we should only celebrate when sensible policies start to be implemented on the ground.

What’s surprising me a little is how the environment issue is suddenly the headline. Campaigners have been going on about it for years. It’s not new news and there’s nothing emerging which is pointing to a new way forward. We are basically living outside our means – the globe is finite and unless we all do something then the world will end. Simple – end of story.

These days governments have stopped being leaders. They are followers. They are slowly waking up to the facts which many people have been shouting at them consistently for many moons.

The way to create environmental change is for you and me to change our habits. If we all made just a tiny change then that added to millions of other people can make a real global impact.

The guys here will talk and let’s pray they start acting practically but its all of us – as consumers of the world’s natural resources – who will make the real difference – and we should act on it right away. And for sure, the others will follow.

Mel Young, President and CEO – The Homeless World Cup