31 Oct COP26 Opening
What do we need to achieve at COP26?
1. Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Countries are being asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century.
To deliver on these stretching targets, countries will need to:
- accelerate the phase-out of coal
- curtail deforestation
- speed up the switch to electric vehicles
- encourage investment in renewables.
2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
The climate is already changing and it will continue to change even as we reduce emissions, with devastating effects. At COP26 we need to work together to enable and encourage countries affected by climate change to:
- protect and restore ecosystems
- build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives
3. Mobilise Finance
To deliver on our first two goals, developed countries must make good on their promise to mobilise at least $100bn in climate finance per year by 2020. International financial institutions must play their part and we need work towards unleashing the trillions in private and public sector finance required to secure global net zero.
4. Work together to deliver
We can only rise to the challenges of the climate crisis by working together.
At COP26 we must:
- finalise the Paris Rulebook (the detailed rules that make the Paris Agreement operational)
- accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society.
OPENING STATEMENTS
Governments attending COP26 are being asked to sign up for the Global Methane Pledge which commits to a collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
- COP26 President Alok Sharma warns Glasgow is the “last, best hope to keep 1.5C in reach”. He is referring to the goal to keep warming limited to 1.5C by 2100 – but we are currently on track for 2.7C, which the UN says would result in “climate catastrophe”
- G20 leaders urge “meaningful and effective action” to achieve the 1.5C target – but agree few specific measures
- Activists call it a missed opportunity – but others say it could still help build momentum for stronger commitments at COP26 itself
- UK PM Boris Johnson says any progress will depend on “the will, the courage and the leadership of everybody” at COP26
- Swedish activist Greta Thunberg told the BBC that sometimes “you have to anger people” to create change
source BBC news
Word from the G20
As we’ve been hearing from Italy’s PM, the leaders of the world’s richest economies – the G20 – have pledged to pursue efforts to limit global warming with “meaningful and effective actions”.
But exactly how this will be achieved was not revealed in their statement leaving activists “disappointed”.
Their closing statement, called a communiqué, makes no reference to achieving net zero by 2050, which many countries have already pledged to do and scientists say is critical to avoiding a climate catastrophe.
Italy’s PM said they are committed to net zero by “mid-century”, but China – the world’s worst polluter – and Russia have pushed their deadline out to 2060.
The communiqué does pledge, however, to stop financing new, unabated coal plants internationally by the end of this year – a strong message to coal-reliant nations such as China, Russia and India. But the G20 leaders stopped short of agreeing to end coal power in their own nations.
Source BBC news
STOP PRESS
It has been confirmed that the president of China and Russia are not coming to COP26. These are two countries who are amongst the worlds biggest greenhouse gas emitters.
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