The Climate Conference, COP26: what do we know and why is it important?

When the most important conference on climate is about to start, from UN News we have answered some of the questions that may arise about COP26, which begins this Sunday in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

In a world shaken by the pandemic, and when we are about to run out of time to avoid climate catastrophe, the momentous United Nations Climate Conference COP26 begins this Sunday in the Scottish city of Glasgow. What is at stake is very important.

“If we don’t act decisively, we are literally risking our last chance to turn things around,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in the days leading up to the meeting.

Why is this our last chance?

From UN News, we have put together some answers to the most common questions that may arise on the subject.

Let’s start at the beginning, what is COP26?

COP26, the 26th climate conference, is the largest and most important climate-related conference on the planet.

In 1992, the UN organized a major event in Rio de Janeiro, under the name of the Earth Summit, in which the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted.

In this treaty, nations agreed to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere” to prevent dangerous interference by human activity with the climate system. Currently, the treaty has 197 signatories.

Since 1994, the year the treaty entered into force, the UN has brought together nearly every country in the world every year at global climate summits, known as the “COPs,” which refers to the “Conference of the Parties.”

This year the 27th annual summit should have been held but, due to COVID-19, last year it could not be convened; hence this year we celebrate the 26th conference, COP26.

But why COP26? Don’t we already have enough meetings on climate change?

During these climate conferences, several “extensions” of the treaty of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have been negotiated to establish legally binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for the different countries, and to define a mechanism for application to assess compliance.

Among these extensions are the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which defined emission limits for developed nations to be reached by 2012; and the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, in which all the countries of the world agreed to intensify efforts to try to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and boost financing of action on climate change.

So this is where COP26 gets interesting: During the conference, among other things, delegates aim to finalize the “Paris rulebook,” or the rules needed to implement the Agreement. This time they will have to agree on common deadlines on the frequency of review and monitoring of their climate commitments.

Basically, Paris set the goal: to limit warming to below two degrees Celsius (ideally 1.5ºC), but Glasgow is the last chance to make it happen.

This brings us back to the original question: why is COP26 our last chance?

Climate change has gone from being an uncomfortable problem to a global emergency that threatens life on the planet in the next three decades.

Although countries have made new and reaffirmed previous commitments ahead of COP26, the world is hurtling toward a dangerous global temperature rise of at least 2.7°C this century, even if the Paris targets are met.

Science makes it clear to us: an increase in temperatures of this magnitude by the end of the century could mean, among other things, a 62% increase in areas burned due to forest fires in the northern hemisphere during the summer, the loss of habitat of a third of the world’s mammals and more frequent periods of drought, between four and ten months.

António Guterres bluntly describes it as a “climate catastrophe”, which is already deadly affecting the most vulnerable areas of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa, or the small island states, which are hit by the rise in the level of the sea.

Millions of people have already been displaced and killed by disasters exacerbated by climate change.

For Guterres and the hundreds of scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a 1.5°C warming scenario is the “only habitable future for humanity.”

The clock is ticking, and in order to limit warming, the world needs to halve greenhouse gas emissions over the next eight years.

This is a gigantic task that we will only be able to accomplish if leaders at COP26 present really ambitious plans, with concrete deadlines and an initial workload to phase out carbon and transform their economies to achieve so-called net zero emissions. .

But… hadn’t countries like China and the United States already committed to reaching the goal of zero emissions?

The latest UN report on the emissions gap explains that a total of 49 countries, in addition to the European Union, have committed to a zero emissions target.

This encompasses more than half of national greenhouse gas emissions, more than half of global GDP, and a third of the world’s population. There are eleven targets enshrined in law, covering 12% of global emissions.

Sounds great, right? But there’s a catch: many of the commitments delay action steps until after 2030, casting doubt on whether these zero-emissions promises can actually be achieved. Furthermore, many of these pledges are “vague” and inconsistent with the officially presented commitments, the Nationally Determined Contribution Plans, known as NDCs.

This explains once again why COP26 is so important: “The time for diplomatic niceties is over… If governments, especially those in the G20, do not champion and lead this effort, we are headed for terrible human suffering.” Guterres warned at the UN General Assembly this week.

So what exactly is expected to be achieved at COP26?

Official negotiations take place over two weeks. In the first week, technical negotiations between government officials are discussed; followed by ministerial and high-level heads of state meetings in the second week, in which the final decisions will or will not be taken.

During the conference, four main issues will be addressed, according to its host, the United Kingdom:

1. Ensure zero emissions worldwide by mid-century and maintain 1.5 degrees Celsius

To do this, countries must phase out coal, curb deforestation and accelerate the shift to greener economies. Carbon market mechanisms will also be part of the negotiations.

2. Adapt more to protect communities and natural habitats

Since the climate is already changing, countries affected by climate change must protect and restore ecosystems, as well as build defense and warning systems and resilient infrastructure.

3. Mobilize climate finance

At COP15, rich nations pledged to channel $100 billion a year to less wealthy nations by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change and mitigate further increases in temperatures.

That promise has not been kept, and COP26 will be crucial in securing that finance, with the help of international financial institutions, as well as setting new climate finance targets to be achieved by 2025.

4. Work together to achieve it

This means establishing partnerships between governments, business and civil society, and of course finalizing the Paris Regulations to make the Agreement fully operational.

In addition to formal negotiations, COP26 is expected to establish new initiatives and coalitions to carry out actions to combat the effects of climate change.

How, when and where?

The main event will be held at the Scottish Event Campus, from October 31 to November 12, with the possibility of negotiations lasting another day or two. So far, there are more than 30,000 people registered to attend representing governments, businesses, NGOs and civil society groups.

The 197 UNFCCC treaty signatories often meet in groups or “blocs” to negotiate together, such as the G77 and China, the African Group, Least Developed Countries, the Umbrella Forum, Small Island Developing States, and the Independent Alliance. of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The negotiations also have observers, who do not formally participate in them, but who intervene and help maintain the transparency of said negotiations. Observers include United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, religious groups and the press.

But in addition to the official negotiations, there will be a conference, a pavilion and thousands of side events, distributed between days dedicated exclusively to certain themes, such as the economy, energy, youth and public empowerment, nature, adaptation, gender , science and innovation, transport and cities.

The conference will take place in two areas: the blue zone (Scottish Events Campus) and the green zone, located in the Glasgow Science Centre.

The blue zone is a space managed by the UN where the negotiations are held, and to access it, attendees must be accredited by the UNFCCC Secretariat.

The green zone is run by the UK government and is open to the public. It will include events, exhibitions, workshops and talks to promote dialogue, awareness, education and commitments on climate change.

Do famous people attend?

In addition to the attendance of several Heads of State and Government, such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and the President of the United States, Joe Biden, other familiar faces who will come to Glasgow will be Sir David Attenborough, the Ombudsman of the COP26, and the activist Greta Thunberg. The Queen of England sadly announced that she would ultimately not be traveling to the event’s main reception.

The new ambassadors of the United Nations for the Sustainable Development Goals, the superstars of K-pop (Korean pop) Blackpink will also participate in the event. This Korean music group posted a video before their appearance, in which they shared their message to inspire climate action.

And in such a big conference, are there any special measures for COVID-19?

COVID-19 is still a big problem around the world, but the fight against the climate crisis cannot wait, according to the hosts of COP26.

Face-to-face negotiations are preferred over virtual ones, to ensure inclusive participation from high- and low-income countries, as well as to ensure scrutiny and transparency.

Full vaccination of conference attendees is strongly recommended, and the UK has put in place a pre-programme to deliver vaccines to participants living in countries that do not have access to them.

Strict COVID-19 testing protocols will also apply. Daily tests will be carried out on all who enter the blue zone to ensure the health and well-being of all participants and the surrounding community.

In addition, there are specific COP provisions for travel arrangements during COVID-19, which people will encounter when entering England and Scotland. Attendees from some countries will have to quarantine; it will be funded by the UK government for attendees in difficult circumstances.

Source: UN News