Ellie Goulding: Cop26 has reminded me ‘how great humans can be’

Singer Ellie Goulding has said the Cop26 climate summit has reminded her “how great humans can be” but she is “astounded” by how some world leaders are failing to tackle the issue.

She urged her social media followers to think more about their dietary choices and plastic usage as she called for greater “respect” for the planet.

Goulding, 34, shared the post on Twitter alongside an image which appeared to show her taking part in a climate protest.

She wrote: “Being at @cop26uk reminded me of how great humans can be.

“It certainly doesn’t seem to be the young ones who need persuading. But I’m still astounded how little some of the bigger leaders of the world are taking it seriously.

“As we are all addicted to calling others hypocrites to make ourselves feel better, I preface this with telling you that I am learning as much as you are, and as much as I try, I can’t be a perfect person. I can just do my bit and push it as far as I can in my position.

“I know when I am inactive for a short time between speaking up about protecting this planet, I get messages of, ‘Why haven’t you spoken about this?’

“No one can win in my position, so I just keep going anyway.

“As exhausting as it is, it looks like we have to take it into our own hands, once again, as we have many times before in this world, when we know political will isn’t truly there.”

She told her followers to “read reliable news sources, learn about science… (and) think about food choices, how much plastic is in your household, joining/supporting an organisation such as WWF, Greenpeace or the US Sunrise Movement”.

“Nothing ever got done by sitting back and letting others do it,” she said.

“Time for us all, as patrons of this planet, to give it the respect it deserves.”

Quoting the campaigner and writer, George Monbiot, Goulding said we are all “hypocrites” on the environment, adding: “Hypocrisy is the gap between your aspirations and your actions.

“Greens have high aspirations – they want to live more ethically – and they will always fall short.

“But the alternative to hypocrisy isn’t moral purity (no one manages that), but cynicism. Give me hypocrisy any day.”

The Cop26 summit in Glasgow has brought together world leaders to discuss commitments aimed at helping reduce climate change.