If you haven’t heard, the twenty-sixth United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) was held in Glasgow over October 31, to 13 November 2021. COP26 was a chance for countries to revisit climate pledges, such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, with goals such as cutting emissions until they reach net zero by mid-century.
Here’s what was agreed upon:
Emissions: Countries will meet next year to pledge further cuts to emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), with the purpose of keeping temperature rises within 1.5C (Current pledges, if met, will only limit global warming to about 2.4C).
Coal: Countries only agreed a weaker commitment to “phase down” rather than “phase out” coal after a late intervention by China and India.
Developing Countries: The agreement pledged to significantly increase money to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change and make the switch to clean energy.
Fossil Fuels: World leaders agreed to phase-out subsidies that artificially lower the price of coal, oil, or natural gas (no firm dates have been set).
US-China Agreement: The world’s biggest CO2 emitters, the US and China, pledged to cooperate more over the next decade in areas including methane emissions and the switch to clean energy.
Trees: Leaders from more than 100 countries – with about 85% of the world’s forests – promised to stop deforestation by 2030.
Methane: A plan to cut 30% of methane emissions by 2030 was agreed by more than 100 countries.
Money: Financial organizations controlling $130 trillion agreed to back “clean” technology, such as renewable energy, and direct finance away from fossil fuel-burning industries. This initiative is an attempt to involve private companies in meeting net zero targets.
While a few countries are making their pledges legally binding, most commitments made at COP are not and countries involved will have to be self-policed.
This year’s COP27 summit will be in Egypt.
Further Reading: https://www.countryandtownhouse.co.uk/culture/cop26-art-world/
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Submission by: Alexa ✩ Montalvo
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56901261