COP26 – What we know so far and why it matters: UN News Guide |

“Without decisive action, we will literally risk our last chance to turn the tide,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said before the meeting. But why should it be our last chance?

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about what’s coming next.

What is COP26?

Simply put, COP26 is the largest and most important climate-related conference on the planet.

In 1992, the United Nations held a major event called the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted.

Under the treaty, states agreed to “stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations” to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. Today, the treaty has 197 signatories.

Since 1994, when the Convention entered into force, the United Nations has annually convened a global climate summit, or “COP,” short for “Conference of the Parties,” bringing together nearly every country on earth.

This year should have been 27 years old^th Our annual summit, but due to COVID-19, was delayed by a year due to last year’s postponement – Hence COP26.

In April 2016, former US Secretary of State John Kerry, accompanied by his granddaughter, signed the Paris Agreement at UN Headquarters.

So what will happen at COP26? Not enough conferences on climate change?

At these COPs, various “extensions” to the UNFCCC Convention are negotiated, setting legally-binding limits on national greenhouse gas emissions and defining enforcement mechanisms.

These include the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The protocol defined emission limits that developed countries should achieve by her 2012. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, commits all countries to step up efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures and to increase funding for climate action. Agreed.

Interesting points about COP26 are: During the meeting, among other issues, Delegates aim to complete the “Paris Rulebook”. or rules necessary for the enforcement of this Agreement. This time, we need to agree on a common timeframe for updating climate commitments and monitoring frequency.

Basically, Paris has set a target to keep warming below 2 degrees (ideally 1.5), but Glasgow is the last chance to make it happen.

Bangladesh is working to protect its coasts from storm-induced flooding and climate change-induced sea level rise.

So this brings us to our first question. Why is this your last chance?

Like the boa constrictor slowly squeezing and killing its prey, climate change has gone from a nasty low-level problem to a life-threatening global emergency over the past three decades.

Countries have made new and renewed commitments in the run-up to COP26, but even if the Paris Agreement goals are met, the world is on track to reach a dangerous global warming of at least 2.7°C this century. We are making good progress.

The science is clear that by the end of the century, this much warming could lead to a 62% increase in areas scorched by summer wildfires in the northern hemisphere and the loss of a third of habitat. is. Mammals of the world, and more often droughts lasting 4-10 months.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres bluntly calls it a ‘climate catastrophe’In some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa and small island states, rising sea levels are already being felt to a deadly degree.

Disasters exacerbated by climate change have already displaced and killed millions of people.

For Guterres and hundreds of scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scenario of 1.5°C warming is “the only viable future for humanity.”

The clock is ticking, and for any chance of limiting its rise, the world Halve greenhouse gas emissions over the next eight years.

This will only happen if the leaders attending COP26 come up with a bold, time-bound front-loaded plan to phase out coal and transform the economy to achieve so-called net zero emissions. , is a huge task that we can do.

In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, emissions from coal-fired power plants are causing air pollution.

Hmm, but didn’t countries like China and America promise net zero?

recent United Nations emissions gap report A total of 49 countries, including the European Union, have committed to net-zero targets.

This covers more than half of the world’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions, more than half of the world’s GDP and one-third of the world’s population. There are 11 targets in law covering 12% of global emissions.

Sounds good. But there are pitfalls: Many of the commitments delay action until 2030 and beyond, raising questions about whether these net-zero pledges can actually be achieved. Also, many of these pledges are “vague” and contradict officially filed national commitments known as NDCs.

This again explains why COP26 is so important. meeting this week.

Future Demonstration Friday at COP25

So what exactly does COP26 hope to achieve (actually speaking)?

Formal negotiations will take place over two weeks. The first week will involve technical negotiations by government officials, and the second week will include a high-level ministerial meeting and a meeting of heads of state to determine whether a final decision will be made.

According to organizers UK, there are four main points to be discussed during the conference.

1. Ensure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach

To do this, countries need to accelerate coal phase-out, curb deforestation and accelerate the switch to greener economies. Carbon market mechanisms will also be part of the negotiations.

2. Be more adaptive to protect communities and natural habitats

As the climate is already changing, countries already affected by climate change need to protect and restore ecosystems, as well as build defenses, warning systems and resilient infrastructure.

3. Mobilize funds

At COP15, wealthy countries pledged $100 billion annually to less-wealthy countries by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change and mitigate further warming.

That promise was not kept, and COP26 is crucial to secure funding with the help of international financial institutions and set new climate finance targets to be met by 2025.

4. Provide collaboratively

This means establishing working relationships between governments, businesses, civil society and, of course, completing the Paris Rulebook to make the deal fully operational.

In addition to formal negotiations, COP26 is expected to establish new initiatives and coalitions to implement climate action.

Glasgow, UK will host the international climate conference COP26.

how, when and where?

The main event will take place at the Scotland Events Campus from 31st October to 12th November. recently, More than 30,000 people representing governments, businesses, NGOs and civil society groups have signed up.

The 197 parties to the UNFCCC treaty often negotiate collectively in groups or “blocks” such as the G77 and China, the African Group, the Least Developed Countries, the Umbrella Forum, the Small Island Developing States and the Alliance for Independence. Latin America and the Caribbean.

Negotiations also include observers. Observers are not formal participants, but they help intervene and maintain transparency. Observers include United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, religious organizations and media outlets.

But beside the formal negotiations, conferences, pavilions and thousands of side events were held to discuss thematic debates on topics such as finance, energy, youth and public empowerment, nature, adaptation, gender, science and innovation and transport. divided into days. , and cities.

The conference will be held in two zones, the Blue Zone (Scottish Events Campus) and the Green Zone at the Glasgow Science Centre.

The Blue Zone is the UN-managed space where negotiations are hosted and all participants must be credited by the UNFCCC Secretariat.

The Green Zone is managed by the UK Government and open to the public. Includes events, exhibitions, workshops and talks to foster dialogue, awareness, education and commitment on climate change.

Are famous people participating?

Several heads of state and government are expected to attend, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden. Other notable figures from Glasgow include COP26 people’s advocate and activist Sir Greta Thunberg, Game of Thrones famed actress Maisie Williams, singer-songwriter and her UNEP ambassador Ellie Goulding. It is included. The Queen will unfortunately not be attending the event’s main reception on Tuesday, she announced.

united nations The latest SDG ambassadors, K-POP superstar BLACKPINK, will also be attending the event. The South Korean girl group released a video ahead of their appearance, secretly sharing a heartfelt message to inspire action against climate change.

A man wears a mask and gloves while sitting in a cafe in Glasgow, Scotland.

And with such a large conference, are there any special COVID-19 measures?

COVID-19 continues to be a major challenge around the world, but according to COP26 organizers, there is no time to wait to tackle the climate crisis.

Face-to-face negotiations are preferred over online negotiations to ensure inclusive participation by high- and low-income countries and to ensure scrutiny and transparency.

Full vaccination is encouraged for those attending the conference, and the UK has implemented a program in advance. To get vaccines to participants who live in countries where vaccines are not available.

A rigorous COVID-19 testing protocol will also be in place, including daily testing of everyone entering the Blue Zone, to ensure the health and well-being of everyone involved and the surrounding community.

There are also COP-specific arrangements for COVID travel schemes that people will encounter when entering England and Scotland, and some countries will require quarantine (funded by the UK government for attendees in difficult circumstances). increase).

How can I follow discussions and events from home?