Why you should care about Climate Action & ‘COP26’

 

The term 'COP26' stands for 26th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Being held from Oct 31 till Nov 12, 2021 in Glasgow, every nation from across the globe is being represented by an authoritative personality. Climate Action is need-of-the-hour and living in denial will only result in denying a shot at life for human beings. Here's what the global buzz is about Climate Action and where leading countries stand.

(Excerpts from PTI & Reuters)

The COP26 Conference in Glasgow, UK (Oct 31 till Nov 12, 2021) is currently drawing tremendous traction in the news as very large number of international delegates are participating. It is being chaired by British official Alok Sharma.

Here's some trivia to add perspective. COP (Conference of the Parties) was first held in 1995, it also serves as the meeting of parties to the 1992 Kyoto Protocol that first committed countries to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and those that signed on to the 2015 Paris Agreement. Governments meeting in the French capital six years ago agreed on a target of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5C (2.7F), by the end of this century compared with pre-industrial times.

 

WHO SAID WHAT…

Greta Thunberg makes a collective point at COP26 in 2021. Pic: AP

Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist (Speaking at the Fridays for Future rally AT cop26 venue) branded the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow so far “a failure,” accusing leaders of purposefully creating loopholes in the rules and giving misleading pictures of their countries' emissions. “World leaders are obviously scared of the truth, yet no matter how hard they try, they cannot escape it. They cannot ignore the scientific consensus, and above all they cannot ignore us - the people, including their own children,” she added with ‘Blah-Blah-Blah’ famous words.

 

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, attend a meeting during the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland on, Nov 2, 2021. (Phil Noble/Pool via AP)

J R Bhatt, Adviser/Scientist in the Ministry of Environment, India: India represents 17 per cent of the global population but its historical cumulative emissions are only 4 per cent, while current annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are only about 5 per cent.This is complemented by the fact that India is particularly vulnerable to climate change. However, India is nevertheless taking several mitigation actions, spanning across the entire economy and society and has progressively continued decoupling of its economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Frans Timmermans, the European Commission's Vice President: At the end of the COP, we need to be in a position to say we're still on track to be well below 2 degrees (Celsius; 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). We still have a shot at the 1.5 degrees (2.7 F goal). All our efforts this week should be directed at that.

Timmermans said a recent U.N. science report on the progress of global warming was “so alarming that I think there's nobody that can still be in denial of the crisis we're already in.” He also stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on transparently reporting emissions.

Members of an Indigenous community participate in a protest rally during a global day of action on climate change in Glasgow on November 6, 2021, during the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. PIc: AP

Diego Pacheco Balanza, Bolivia: Rich nations are not being truthful in their commitments to climate change, delegates from developing nations. Not fixing the financial pledge problem — the need for $100 billion annually in financial help from rich countries to poor ones to cope with climate change — shows rich nations' pledges are “an empty commitment,” and without fixing that the climate talks in Glasgow cannot be successful, representatives from several countries, including Guinea. There is a history of broken promises and unfulfilled commitments by developed countries.

 

Patricia Espinosa, Head of the U.N. Climate Office: The world was coming into these talks with the “clear picture that we're not there.” But at the same time, scientists say that it's still possible to achieve the world's climate goals, like limiting future warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). They say that will mitigate the effects of global warming, such as increasing doughts, extreme weather, wildfires and rising seas. We need to accelerate the process going forward.

 

State Secretary for Finance Hans Vijlbrief, Netherlands: The Dutch government is joining a group of nations, including the United States and Canada, that has pledged to stop funding overseas fossil fuel projects. It was not immediately clear how much Dutch funding will be affected. Last week, national broadcaster NOS reported that the government was guarantor in 2020 for loans financing fossil fuel projects overseas of more than 4.5 billion euros. The decision was announced Monday as the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow entered its second week with key issues still unresolved.

 

Milagros De Camps, Deputy Minister of Environment, Dominican Republic: World leaders made “inspirational” pledges at the start of climate talks in Glasgow, but inside the negotiating rooms, thorny political issues continue to reign. Inside the talks, some nations' tactics still looked to delay and deny that there was any urgency. This was in contrast with world leaders, who used doomsday rhetoric to underline the importance of the conference. There is still resistance to acknowledge that small island nations -- whose very existence is at risk from climate change despite contributing a fraction of the world's greenhouse emissions -- are a “special case. Rich nations needed to live up to the grand pledges and translate that into concrete national targets to combat climate change. The needle hasn't moved, and incrementalism won't suffice.

 

Shahab Uddin, Bangladesh Environment Minister: The science is clear. Failing to limit emissions in this decade would increase the risk “of dangerous and irreversible impacts” on natural systems and people. The global community still lacked the “feeling of urgency and true commitment” to implement climate action.

What are your views about climate change and how can we become a part of the overall solution? Leave your comments...

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