On Saturday, as COP26 draws to a close, delegates unanimously endorsed the Glasgow Climate Pact, an update to the Paris Agreement that targets subsidies for coal-fired power plants and fossil fuels and calls on countries to create more aggressive climate plans next year. These new agreements represent a huge step forward in the international climate debate – but few delegates were willing to celebrate openly. Statement after statement at the closing sessions, negotiators from countries around the world indicated that they accepted the text in a “spirit of compromise” while deploring the fact that the agreement did not go far enough. “The text represents the least worst result,” New Zealand Climate Minister James Shaw told his counterparts on Friday. Get the latest stories, special reports and an in-depth analysis of skynews.com/cop26 A lot has happened in Glasgow in the last couple of weeks. Here is a review of all the important agreements. A plan to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 has been endorsed by more than 100 countries. The outcome document, known as the Glasgow Climate Pact, calls on 197 countries to report on their progress towards more climate ambitions next year at COP27, which will take place in Egypt. • Electricity: Clean energy becomes the most affordable and reliable option in the world Five countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, and a group of global charities have pledged $1.7 billion to support indigenous peoples` forest conservation and strengthen their land rights.
Much of the wording of the agreement is still not quantified. For example, China promises to reduce its coal consumption and “do its best to speed up this work.” The COP`s conclusions also bring contradictory messages. On the one hand, countries almost everywhere have signaled that fossil fuels are not the future. On the other hand, they struggle to explain how the necessary transition to renewable energy will unfold – both in terms of technical details of reducing emissions and impact on people and communities. “Is [the agreement] enough to keep global warming at 1.5°?” Shaw said. “Honestly, I can`t say I think that`s the case, but we must never give up.” However, despite these concerns, some progress has undoubtedly been made. A roadmap has been developed for updating Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which, according to the analysis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), do not meet the 1.5°C targets. Letter to the Chairs and Heads of Delegation of the Group on the Presidencies` Plan for Informal Work to 2021 (20 January 2021) Letter from the COP26 Envoy and the COP26 Negotiator on the postponement of COP26 With regard to green transport, more than 100 national governments, cities, states and major automotive companies have signed the Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Vehicles and Vans, end the sale of internal combustion engines by 2035 in major markets and by 2040 worldwide.
At least 13 countries have also committed to ending the sale of fossil fuel-based heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. More than 100 countries representing 85% of the world`s forests have registered, including Brazil, Russia, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “If we`ve achieved the goal we`ve set ourselves of reducing methane by 30 percent by 2030,” Kerry said, “that`s the equivalent of bringing all the cars in the world, all the trucks in the world, all the planes in the world to zero. That`s how big it is. That is what is on the table. The financial organizations that control $130 trillion have agreed to support “clean” technologies such as renewable energy and direct funding for fossil fuels. Many critics of international climate negotiations are likely to say that none of this is really important when it comes to getting the world to reduce its emissions. Real action occurs in response to economic factors – in manufacturing facilities, in offices and among consumers – or at least in response to laws or rules.
It is true, of course, that the negotiators who met in Glasgow have no direct power to intervene on the ground in other countries, but collectively setting the direction cannot hurt. The US and the EU have launched an initiative to reduce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas derived from sources such as fossil fuel extraction and livestock. In addition to the methane commitments, the signatories committed to investing in green agricultural practices and nature protection. Our extensive engagement with countries has highlighted the most frequently cited priorities: if you`re reading this page and can`t see the form, you`ll need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or email it to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location in each question you submit. “And it`s so unfair to countries that are at the forefront of a climate crisis that this climate finance has been delayed for more years,” she told NPR this week. Kerry described it as an “imperative to cooperate,” while China`s chief negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, said there was “more agreement between China and the United States than divergence.” Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com. “This is an important step, but it is not enough,” UN SECRETARY-General António Guterres said in his closing message to the conference. “Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread. We are still knocking on the door of the climate catastrophe. It`s time to go into emergency mode – or our chance of reaching net zero will be zero itself. More than 40 countries, including 23 new ones, have committed to phasing out coal, the most polluting fossil fuel.
Its members include heavy coal consumers such as Poland, Ukraine and Vietnam. The goal is to further reduce emissions until they reach net zero by mid-century. Kerry acknowledged the moral responsibility of the United States to find solutions to climate change, as this has contributed to the problem in the past. Many other issues were discussed at COP26, including several important sectoral issues not listed above. Letter from the COP26 Chair to Parties on effective progress at the June meeting of subsidiary bodies (12 April 2021) Six years ago, countries were urged to make changes to keep global warming “well below” 2°C – and try to target 1.5°C. The UK has brought countries together to achieve a comprehensive, ambitious and balanced outcome that fosters coordinated climate action and addresses key issues related to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement*. At the COP26 summit, a new global agreement – the Glasgow Climate Pact – was reached. Message from the COP26 President to Parties, Observer States and Agreed Observer Organisations on COVID-19 vaccination for United Nations Climate Change Participants (COP26) (28 June 2021) The UK Government has announced that financial companies controlling around 40% of the world`s wealth – $130 trillion (£95 trillion) – have signed the 2050 net-zero emissions targets, including limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Developing countries have called on rich countries to deliver on the commitment made at a 2009 United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, to channel $100 billion a year to less prosperous countries to help them adapt to climate change.
Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate says that promise has not yet been kept in 2021. Methane is currently responsible for a third of man-made warming. Last week, the UK announced more than £55 million to help Pakistan build resilience to the effects of climate change, manage water more sustainably and unlock climate investments. Pakistan is ranked 8th among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with rising temperatures threatening to melt 36% of glaciers along the Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountains by 2100. More than 100 world leaders – from countries that cover 85% of the world`s forests – have pledged to end deforestation by 2030, pledging $19.2 billion, while more than 30 financial firms have pledged to stop investing in deforestation-related activities. Another important carbon sink, peatlands, has promised increased cooperation between countries with large peat areas and the publication of the first basic map of global peatlands. Several countries, including Germany and England, have also committed to publishing comprehensive peatland strategies. .