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COP26 Agreement : Hope is Not Dead! | |
| Superadmin |
COP26 President Alok Sharma stated that delegations could say “with credibility” that they have kept 1.5 degrees within reach.
We are saying Hope is not Dead. We are not saying it is alive because far too much needs to be done to say it is alive. The balance between alive and dead is fragile.
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What is agreed on?
Other announcements and agreements which will help archive the targets :
India pledges a Net Zero by 2070
India has 70% dependence on coal for its energy needs. It's growing at a fast pace and its energy needs are going to increase phenomenally over the next decade or two. So this commitment is a pleasant surprise and is welcome.
China-US agree to boost climate co-operation
They agreed on steps on methane emissions, transition to clean energy and de-carbonisation.
It is heartening to see both countries recall their firm commitment to work together to achieve a 1.5-degree Celcius temperature goal. Both countries are largest polluters and without strong commitment from them not much would change.
Leaders from more than 100 countries representing 85% of the world's forests promised deforestation by 2030
Trees can help absorb greenhouse gases and so this initiative matters. Though past initiatives have fallen short, this time there is a better budget and hopefully increased resolve.
Pledge to cut Methane use by 30% by more than 100 countries
Methane is key contributor from human activities to greenhouse gases.
Financial Commitments
More than 450 global organisations including financial institutions have agreed to back clean energy projects and move money away from fossil fuels.
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Where do the agreements fall short?
The text of eliminating coal is very weak. Without a firm plan by China and India and also US and Australia, this can lead to an eventual debacle. Developed countries have used fossil fuels in abundance and have earned enormous amount of money. The developing nations want the developed countries to pay. They feel it is unfair to curtail their growth when others have benefited enormously already.
The agreement does not cover other fossil fuels.
India's 2070 Net Zero commitment is commendable but at this point lacks any concrete plan. The actual action plan and how much of it can be achieved in next decade will matter.
US-China agreement on commitment to 1.5 degree celcius target is welcome. But it falls short of call by the countries most affected by climate change to come back to the table every year.
Deforestation commitment is highly laudable. But again the developed vs developing rift stands out. Indonesia, one of the main signatories has already called the plan as unfair.
On methane big polluters like China and India have not joined. It is hoped they will join later.
Lastly, only few countries have made the targets legally binding. Mostly it is left to self policing.
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Where is Middle East in this?
Turkey is the victim of wildfires, flash floods. Plastic waste is illegally exported from the UK and Germany and burnt at Turkish landfill sites.
At a G20 press conference in Rome on Sunday, the Turkish president committed to end carbon emissions. He however added - “The countries aren’t in an equal position in the climate change process, which is a global struggle,” Erdogan said. “As we have expressed before, the burden-sharing should be fair between the developing and developed countries.”
Turkey will receive a financial package of $3.1bn - largely in credit and partly in grants - to support the green economy in energy, agriculture, transportation, construction and urbanisation.
Saudi Arabia has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2060 - as far as its own emissions are concerned.
The kingdom will invest $187bn in climate action this decade. It will produce 50 percent of its own energy using renewable sources by 2030. It will also invest in offsetting measures, such as growing trees and the use of carbon capture technology.
The head of Abu Dhabi’s national oil company, Sultan al-Jaber is hauled by New York Times as a climate saviour for his other role as special climate envoy to the UAE.
UAE become the first state in the region to pledge net zero emissions by 2050. It also founded a multibillion-dollar state-backed company that invests in renewable energy.
The Emirates produce about three million barrels of oil a day and have 60 years’ supply of oil left, but are now less dependent on fossil fuels than their neighbouring petrostates and are investing heavily in solar power.
Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to changes in the climate as per the UN Environment Programme.
Rising sea levels threaten the southern city of Basra, scorching temperatures are becoming the norm, 39 percent of the country’s territory is affected by desertification, and increased salination threatens 54 percent of Iraq’s agricultural land.
Dams on the headwaters and tributaries of the historic Tigris and Euphrates rivers have reduced water flow, leading to shortages. The cradle of civilization is drying.