Sunday, 14 November 2021
Overrunning its schedule by twenty four hours, COP26 concluded on Saturday. 13 November after two weeks of intense negotiations. It's final agreement is to become known as the 'Glasgow Climate Pact'. The main take-away message of the Conference by the exhausted, emotional COP President Alok Sharma was: "..... we have kept 1.5C alive. But, its pulse is weak and it will only survive if we keep our promises and translate commitments into rapid action." He ended the Conference's closing speech by telling delegates:-
"Crucially, countries promised to 'revisit and strengthen' their 2020 climate goals by the end of 2022. This is the moment of truth for our planet, our children and our grandchildren.”
In his speech, António Guterres, reiterated that further urgent work was needed, saying:-
“Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread. We are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe. It is time to go into emergency mode – or our chance of reaching net zero [emissions] will itself be zero.”
So, what are the key points agreed in the Glasgow Climate Pact?
In a surprise announcement, the US and China promised to work together to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C within the next decade
More than 100 world leaders promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030, including Brazil, home to the Amazon rainforest
The US and the EU announced a global partnership to cut emissions of the greenhouse gas methane by 2030 - reducing methane in the atmosphere seen as one of the best ways to quickly reduce global warming
More than 40 countries committed to move away from coal - but the world's biggest users like China and the US did not sign up
Some new pots of money were announced to help developing countries adapt to climate change and deal with the damage and loss it brings - but many say it's not enough
A new alliance that commits countries to setting a date to ending oil and gas use - and halting granting new licences for exploration - was launched
Furthermore, new rules were established, allowing for greater transparency in the reporting of emissions. Arguably, the most significant commitment was the eventual elimination of coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by countries which, to date, rely heavily on them. In a television interview Alok Sharma explained that this was the first time there had been "explicit mentions of coal and fossil fuels in any UN climate agreement". He stressed that some of the wording used in the final agreement remained controversial, particularly for those countries whose economies currently rely on carbon emitting resources. They are points which will require further negotiations over coming years in order to meet the satisfaction of all countries.
COP27 is due to be held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt from 7 to 18 November 2022. It remains to be seen whether further action to limit the Planet's climate change can be agreed on there.
