What exactly does declaring a "climate emergency" do? Especially when this is a global situation that requires the most cooperation and changes in countries like China, India, and elsewhere?
If I see a fire in the house I am in, it might be in the grate, or it might be on the sofa. If I declare some sort of 'fire emergency', it can help to point out to other humans which of the two situations I think I am encountering and how they might therefore choose to react.
I hope this helps.
For example, Trump declared immigration a national emergency in an attempt to use funds to build the wall that he would not have otherwise been able to do so. See the second paragraph of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Emergency_Concernin...