Felix Dodds COP26 Glasgow - 26th Global Climate Conference of the Parties
Felix Dodds COP26 Glasgow - 26th Global Climate Conference of the Parties
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So, what about Glasgow COP26? What's it all about? And what are the possible outcomes? by Felix Dodds
The journey to Glasgow Climate Summit has been a challenge because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was moved from November 2020 to November 2021 to enable governments to meet in person.
There are a series of meetings and negotiations that will help build momentum and we also hope commitments. Between April and November, key meetings will feed into the Glasgow Summit - they are listed on page 2
On the Agenda for discussion and negotiations for Glasgow are:
• Revision of the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on annual inventories for developed countries to the Convention; and outline for the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the transparency framework.
• Common metrics to calculate the carbon dioxide equivalence of greenhouse gases; and
• Emissions from fuel used for international aviation and maritime transport.
• Land use, land-use change and forestry.
• Market and non-market mechanisms under the Convention.
• Where are we on National Determined Contributions (country targets) and the Green Climate Fund.
The UK has five priority areas for additional activity and agreements these are 1) Clean Energy, 2) Clean Transport, 3) Nature based solutions, 4) adaptation and resilience built into recovery packages from COVID and 5) finance - aligning our public and private finance to address climate change.
The UK announced aims for Glasgow are:
• All countries to submit more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions, committing to further cuts in carbon emissions by 2030.
• All countries to commit to reach net zero emissions as soon as possible.
• Developed countries to honour their commitments, including meeting the 100-billion dollar goal for beyond 2020 from the Paris Climate Agreement for climate finance.
• Seeking to agree a package which takes forward the Paris Agreement.
Possible outcomes from Glasgow could include:
• National Determined Contributions
◦ further cuts in carbon emissions by 2030 and to reaching net zero as soon as possible.
• Clean energy
◦ low costs of renewables to boost growth and create jobs.
• Clean transport
◦ Air fuel - waste to energy, synthetic fuels.
◦ Ocean - ammonia used as fuel is that it contains no carbon.
◦ Cars-lorries - electric (Norway 40% new cars are electric).
• Adaptation and resilience:
◦ into our recovery plans, we can better prepare for the next crisis while supporting the global economy.
• Finance
◦ $100 billion a year commitmenet
◦ Private sector finance announcement to align investment around helping to address climate change: elements to help this include: Green Bonds, SDG Public Private Partnerships - People First.
• Coalition of the Willing - setting up in other countries a similar approach to the "America's Pledge" where states, cities and businesses and other stakeholder summit to their own targets
Those interested in being part of the solution can register their commitments to the Race to Zero campaign on the UN web site as part of the Climate Ambition Alliance. The Climate Ambition Alliance brings together countries, businesses, investors, cities and regions who are working towards achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Country engagement in this Alliance is led by the governments of Chile and the United Kingdom, with support from UN Climate Change and UNDP; while mobilization of a non-government actors is led by the High-Level Climate Champions for Climate Action.
As Patricia Espinosa Executive Secretary to the UNFCCC said recently we expect from "Countries lower emissions and raise climate ambition, not only with regard to emission reductions, but also increasing ambition in adapting and building resilience to the impacts of climate change."
Felix Dodds was the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mid Derbyshire and an author of the book Power to the People - Confessions of a Young Liberal Activist (1975 to 1987)