‘Let’s make it count’: World leaders, royalty and environmentalists gear up for major climate summit COP26

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Six years in the past, after days of painstaking negotiations, world leaders managed to thrash out a deal on climate change. The end result was the Paris Agreement, determined on the COP21 summit in Paris.

Described by the United Nations as a legally-binding worldwide treaty on climate change, the landmark accord goals to “restrict international warming to properly under 2, ideally to 1.5 levels Celsius, in comparison with pre-industrial ranges.” 2 levels Celsius is round 35 levels Fahrenheit.

Now, years later, politicians are — pandemic allowing — making ready to fulfill as soon as once more for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP26.

Below, CNBC’s Sustainable Future offers the lowdown on the talks. 

The fundamentals

As issues stand, COP26 will likely be hosted by the U.Ok. and held within the Scottish metropolis of Glasgow between Nov. 1 and 12, 2021. It was initially resulting from happen in Nov. 2020, however was rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

COP stands for Conference of the Parties — in different phrases, international locations — whereas the quantity 26 refers back to the reality it would be the 26th summit. The European Union is taken into account a “get together” to the Paris Agreement in its personal proper, as are its 27 member states.

The U.Ok. authorities says talks at COP26, “will convey collectively heads of state, climate specialists and campaigners to agree coordinated motion to deal with climate change.”

If all goes to plan, 1000’s of persons are anticipated to attend the occasion in Glasgow.                                                                                                                         

Italy has been designated as a “co-host” of COP26 and in late September a 3 day “Pre-COP” session will happen in Milan, which between 35 and 40 international locations are anticipated to attend.

All current and right?

Participants at COP25, which was held in Spain on the finish of 2019, included the U.S., China, India and the European Union. It’s hoped all will likely be energetic, vocal members on the talks in Glasgow.   

Quite a lot of consideration will give attention to China within the run up to this 12 months’s occasion, not least as a result of it is an industrial and financial powerhouse and the planet’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide.

In an illustration of the challenges concerned when it involves coordinating major worldwide summits, China didn’t participate in a current climate assembly held by the U.Ok. forward of COP26.

The BBC reported that China was not concerned within the assembly, which was attended by the EU, U.S., India and others, regardless of being invited.

China did, nonetheless, participate within the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit, which was held on the identical day.

Ambition the watchword

Digging a bit deeper into the principle summit’s goals, the U.Ok.’s official web site for COP26 states it will, “convey events collectively to speed up motion in direction of the targets of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.”

Rather a lot is driving on COP26. “We know that with the intention to restrict the warming of the Earth to 1.5C at a most, the worldwide neighborhood, and major and historic emitters have to convey extremely bold plans,” Jake Woodier, COP26 Campaign Manager at The Climate Coalition, a gaggle centered on tackling climate change, informed CNBC by way of electronic mail.

“The U.Ok. as … host must play an energetic position in guaranteeing this takes place by means of climate diplomacy, whereas additionally offering an instance to the world by implementing bold and visionary inexperienced measures at residence.”

Helen Clarkson, who’s CEO of the Climate Group, a global non-profit, informed CNBC that COP26 was “an important second within the combat towards climate change.”

“As host of the talks, the U.Ok. has a duty to guide from the entrance and urge governments to set internet zero targets that align with the Paris settlement, limiting international temperature rises to not more than 1.5 levels C,” she added.

“To overshoot this is able to be a disaster for individuals and planet that have to be prevented in any respect prices.”

An enormous problem

Much of the discussions at Glasgow will likely be centered round nationally decided contributions, or NDCs. In easy phrases, NDCs consult with particular person international locations’ targets for chopping emissions and adapting to the results of climate change.

All international locations which can be a part of the Paris Agreement are alleged to replace their NDCs each 5 years. This is essential as a result of the targets must be ramped up often so as meet the settlement’s total goal of limiting international warming.

In principle, these updates ought to have been submitted by the tip of 2020. In apply, this did not occur resulting from a large number of causes, together with Covid-19 associated disruption.

Published in February, a UN report confirmed that as of Dec. 31 final 12 months, solely 75 events concerned within the Paris Agreement had up to date their NDCs. This represents simply 40% of the entire quantity concerned, and collectively they account for solely 30% of worldwide greenhouse gasoline emissions.

The interim report was described as a “pink alert for our planet” by UN Secretary General António Guterres.

“It reveals governments are nowhere near the extent of ambition wanted to restrict climate change to 1.5 levels and meet the targets of the Paris Agreement,” he added.

Elsewhere, Patricia Espinosa, government secretary of UN Climate Change, stated the report confirmed that present targets had been “very removed from placing us on a pathway that may meet our Paris Agreement targets.” An up to date model of this report will likely be revealed within the run up to COP26.

Greta Thunberg and different obstacles

The anxiousness surrounding new NDCs — or the shortage of them — is one in every of a number of obstacles already skilled by the summit.

Despite already being rescheduled as soon as, Sky News reported on the finish of March that the summit could possibly be postponed for a second time due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, teenage activist Greta Thunberg – a vastly influential determine within the climate change motion – lately cast doubt on her attendance.

Given all the above, what would must be achieved and agreed at COP26 for it to be thought-about successful?

“Success would seem like rigorous targets that embody a excessive degree of ambition that ensures warming is stored to under 1.5C,” The Climate Coalition’s Woodier stated.

“Beyond that, it’s crucial that richer nations decide to equitable financing contributions to make sure poorer nations are supported in full to rework their economies.”

Prince William weighs in

COP26 represents a chance for high-level discussions on a broad vary of subjects related to the setting.

The U.Ok. says its COP26 Presidency will give attention to 5 issues: finance, clear highway transport, adaptation and resilience, the power transition and nature. The latter has some high-profile advocates, together with Prince William.

Addressing the digital spring conferences of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group final week, the Duke of Cambridge stated defending and restoring nature was “important to the success of COP26 in Glasgow later this 12 months and for the brighter, greener, extra affluent future that all of us need to see.” 

“We can’t get better sustainably from coronavirus, eradicate international poverty, obtain internet zero emissions or adapt to climate change with out investing in nature,” he added.

COP26, William went on to state, was a “important step on the trail to placing nature middle stage in our combat towards climate change.” 

“The selections that leaders absorb Glasgow will echo down the generations for years to return. So let’s make it rely.” 



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