COP26: A Pivotal Moment to Stop Runaway Climate Change

Climate Change

-Rituraj Phukan |

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In less than a week, the eyes and ears of the world will be on the United Nations Climate Change Conference which gets underway at Glasgow on the 31st of October. The annual meeting of the 197 Parties to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be under unprecedented scrutiny following a series of alarming reports and climatic disasters around the world. The 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) is increasingly perceived as humanity’s best chance to avoid the catastrophic consequences of unabated climate change.
The importance of COP26 is enshrined in the Paris Agreement, which was inked at COP21 in 2015. It was agreed that countries would come back with updated Nationally Determined Contributions every five years to reflect the best commitments for reducing emissions possible. The urgency of the Glasgow conference has been magnified by its Covid19 induced postponement from 2020, and the publication of the latest ‘Code Red for Humanity’ report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
At the Paris Agreement parties agreed to limit warming to well below 2 degrees and strive for 1.5 degrees. Studies published since then, including the IPCC ‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C’ in 2018 have provided a comparative analysis of the dangers of passing the lesser threshold. The first part of the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), the latest from the IPCC warned that we are on track to exceed warming of 1.5 Celsius within the next two decades and 2°C during the 21st century without huge and immediate reductions in emissions.
The targets announced in Paris would result in warming well above 3 degrees by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels. Even more incriminating is the 2021 Production Gap Report which has revealed that despite increased climate ambitions and net-zero commitments, governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than what would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
The COP26 presidency has declared four goals, the first of which is to “Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach.” The world needs to halve emissions over the next decade and countries have been asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century. It has called for developed countries to rapidly phase out coal power, and all countries to commit to not opening or financing any new coal-fired power stations across the world, while working together to provide developing countries with better support to deliver clean energy to their citizens. The other suggested pathways to achieve these targets include curtailing deforestation, reiterating the critical role forests play in removing carbon from the air, and speeding the switch to electric vehicles.
“Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats” is the second goal, accepting the fact that the climate is already changing, and it will continue to change even as we reduce emissions, with devastating effects for communities who have done the least to cause it. It is a call for the international community to unite and support people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of the changing climate. Advocating more action to avert, minimize and address the loss and damage that is already occurring from climate change, the COP26 presidency will focus on plans and finances to improve early warning systems, flood defenses, resilient infrastructure, and agriculture to avoid further loss of life, livelihoods, and natural habitats.
The third goal is to “Mobilize finance” and it is critical to deliver on the first two goals. Echoing the fact that developing countries in particular need support, the presidency has urged developed countries to make good on their promise to mobilize at least $100bn in climate finance per year by 2020. Negotiators at COP26 will also work with international financial institutions towards unleashing private and public sector finance required to secure global net zero. The stated goal called upon companies to be transparent about the risks and opportunities from climate change and called upon banks and regulators to ensure that financial systems support the transition to net zero.
“Work together to deliver,” the fourth goal recognizes the importance of working together to address the challenges of the climate crisis. A focus for the negotiations is finalizing the ‘Paris Rulebook’ which will have the tools to make the Paris Agreement operational. The presidency reiterates that the UN negotiations are consensus-based and inclusive, and everyone’s voice will be heard during COP26. It also resolved to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society.
COP26 will be a carbon-neutral conference, with sustainability at its core, that will leave a positive legacy and the first COP to achieve validation using PAS2060 international standard on carbon neutrality. All carbon accounting is being carried out in line with the GHG Protocol and other sources of best practice guidance and the unavoidable carbon emissions from COP26 will be offset through the purchase of UNFCCC-recognized offsets such as Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).
The venue for the COP26 is the Scottish Event Campus with the large Armadillo auditorium, a larger special events center and five interconnected exhibition and meeting spaces, the Blue Zone where formal negotiations and informal consultations will take place. The Green Zone at the Glasgow Science Centre across the river Clyde will host events, exhibitions, cultural performances, workshops and talks by youth groups, civil society, academia, artists, and businesses from all over the world.
With an Observer accreditation, I will have a ring’s eye view of the proceedings during the two weeks of the negotiations, besides opportunities to speak about climate justice and the resilience of our indigenous people. Future generations will look at COP26 as the pivotal moment to stop runaway climate change and I will be there to witness history in the making. I hope I can proudly say that again after the end of these negotiations.