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Looking at the history of the climate crisis, I can’t help but shake my head. This is not a new problem. The world has too many opportunities to avoid the post-apocalyptic hellish spectacle of fireballs and ash clouds currently seen in Turkey, Greece, China and the United States.
From the first scientist to warn then-U.S. President Lyndon Johnson of rising temperatures in 1965, to the first flawed international treaty in 1997 where governments were the first to commit to reducing greenhouse gases, leaders We have been content with the opportunity for early action. Often these moments are unjustly wasted.
So what’s different about COP26? The climate summit co-hosted in Glasgow by the British and Italian governments this November has been held up as one of humanity’s last chances to slow global warming. But why is it different from the previous one.
The summit has been hailed as the biggest climate change moment since the Paris Agreement at COP21 in 2015. The Paris Agreement, a historic agreement signed by 196 countries, agreed to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, but preferably below 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. is desirable. .
Timing couldn’t be more important. Here’s everything you need to know about COP26 and why the summit is a moment the world can’t afford to miss.
3 key facts about COP26
- Up to 200 world leaders and an estimated 36,000 delegates are expected to attend.
- The main goal of COP26 is to limit the temperature increase to within 1.5 degrees.
- We have only nine years left to limit the worst consequences of the climate crisis before the destruction becomes irreversible.
What is COP26?
This is an annual climate summit hosted by the United Nations climate body, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
COP is an abbreviation for Conference of the Parties, which means a gathering of countries, and will be held for the 26th time in 2021. Hence COP26.
Countries across regions of the rotating world take turns hosting the summit. This time, the UK and Italy teamed up to win the bid. So they are officially known as his COP Presidents and are responsible for hosting the event. This time it will be held in Glasgow, Scotland after being postponed from November 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COP26 will last for 12 days from October 31st to November 12th. Some of the major conversations have been about net zero emissions targets, policies to help vulnerable communities adapt to the consequences of the climate crisis, and how to pay for it all.
Why COP26 Timing Matters
On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed that without significant cuts in carbon emissions over the decade, a temperature rise of over 1.5 degrees is inevitable and irreversible. released a report, Code Red for Humanity. The planet is now 1.1 degrees hotter than it was between 1850 and 1900.
This was a stark warning of what would happen if COP26 did not deliver a serious commitment to radical action. COP26 also holds special significance as the fifth summit since the Paris Agreement. This means that, according to the Convention, each country must submit its most recent Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
This basically refers to the commitments a country makes to reduce its carbon emissions. Every five years, signatories to the Paris Agreement must submit an updated plan with the highest possible level of ambition. COP26 is the next milestone. Learn more about why NDC is important here.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the world with a strange and unique opportunity. Lockdown measures to contain the virus have led to the biggest global recession since World War II, with some countries fighting back with historic levels of public spending aimed at getting the economy back on track. We are preparing. That spending can be used to acknowledge the climate crisis through green investments or to get back to business as usual.
Will COP26 leaders take advantage of this opportunity? Only time will tell.
What do activists want at COP26?
Many activists want the same thing. It is for countries to meaningfully engage in the global environmental movement known as the Green New Deal.
It can have slightly different meanings in different countries, but there are some common themes. It is a complete social transformation that will decarbonize the economy, focusing on green jobs and global climate justice.
The international outlook would look completely different if all wealthy countries did this. But it’s important to check policies, as many governments have adopted radical language, such as talking about a green industrial revolution. Not all green revolutions are created equal.
As long as activists like Fatima Ibrahim tackle the climate crisis, we have hope 🌍 💫 ✊
27 year old co-founder @GreenNewDealUK When #GC Prize: The British Hero Award Winner is the first dialogue in our new series. #IMSPEAKING: Tomorrow’s Leaders 💪 @fortuashlapic.twitter.com/0xfLLisYkv
— Global Citizen UK (@GlblCtznUK) December 19, 2020
Meanwhile, the Climate Coalition — the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action on climate change, of which Global Citizen is a member — has launched an action plan for the UK government ahead of COP26 that will focus on mitigation, adaptation and response. proposed. Irreparable loss.
That is, what leadership calls for: reducing the temperature difference to 1.5 degrees, addressing the damage already done, increasing climate change financing to help the poorest countries adapt, and supporting a just transition to green energy. It means that you will be
“COP26 is an important moment in history,” said Marie Ramsby, Global Citizen’s UK Country Director. “This could be a turning point. But without radical pledges to cut emissions and ensure ever more ambitious climate justice, the world will never come close. There is no time to avoid the catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis.”
How are countries already showing leadership?
At this point, it would probably be helpful to divide responses into countries that are currently doing so and countries that have said they plan to do so.
Take the UK for example. On paper, the host country of COP26 has world-leading climate goals. It was the first country in the world to set a legally-binding target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and increased its reduction ambition with a reduction pledge in December. 68% of its emissions, as opposed to 1990 levels.
But actions speak louder than words. As co-organizers of COP26, the UK’s leading leaders have often spoken out about how they want to lead the world in their climate ambitions. At the same time, the UK is approving new oilfields in the North Sea and considering opening a new coal mine for the first time in 30 years, slashing aid budgets by billions, cutting climate change projects and protecting future communities. Abandoned. The front line of rising temperatures.
Across the Atlantic, the picture is mixed. The United States did indeed win the “Most Improved” medal. From the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the former president to the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill that includes various environmental measures proposed by Joe Biden. But the compromises made in the Senate reportedly mean that many of the environmental aspects have been watered down.
China and India are among dozens of countries that missed the UN’s extended deadline to submit updated climate plans on reducing emissions ahead of COP26’s assessment of the Paris Agreement. China, the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, more than the United States and her EU combined, has committed to net zero emissions by 2060 and leads clean energy technologies, but still We are building a new coal-fired power plant.
Elsewhere in Europe, Germany has important general elections in September. At COP26, Chancellor Angela Merkel will resign after 16 years as Chancellor. The country’s Greens were initially high in the polls, indicating that climate could be a key election issue, but their ratings have since declined.
But the lack of leadership is evident when it comes to keeping old promises, let alone new ones. In 2009, world leaders pledged to mobilize $100 billion annually to help low-income countries encourage clean economic growth and vulnerable communities to adapt to the climate crisis. But Global Citizen still calls on countries to clear their throats.
what can you help
Take action!
Visit Climate Action Headquarters here to see how you can make a difference. That includes signing a petition calling on world leaders, businesses and philanthropists to better respond to the climate crisis, sending emails to his G20 ministers to protect natural ecosystems such as forests, shooting and more. is. Turn off messages to countries such as the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands to help farmers adapt to rising temperatures.
Join the Global Citizen Live campaign to help citizens around the world take action in partnership with governments, businesses and philanthropists to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and make a difference by taking action here. Be part of the movement that is driving it.
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