Critics of COP26, in my opinion rightly, cite the absence of Vladimir Vladimirovich and Xi Jinping in Glasgow as the main argument. Russia and China have been at the top of the list of the largest CO2 emitters for years, so it is logical that if the biggest polluters do not participate in the talks – what is the point of talking about it at all?

Two things. Contrary to what we read in internet comments, we are part of the "lucky billion". In per capita terms, we manage a disproportionately large amount of money, and our money as consumers is of interest to both China and Russia. If we decide to put our money to use, there are great opportunities to change the behaviour of those who secure their livelihood with euros or US dollars. It is another matter whether and how we plan to do so, but to claim that we have no influence would be a lie.