HOT TOPIC
Special issue THINKING
COP out?
The aim of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) was to build on the landmark Paris Agreement. Was it all hot air and bluster, or was meaningful progress made? – by Michelle Sturman
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he world has been attempting to negotiate ways to manage the climate crisis for 29 years under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). ‘Negotiate’ is the key word here, as 197 nations regularly meet at the UN Climate Change Conference – known as the Conference of Parties, or COP – to discuss and agree on climate action measures. Some meetings have been successful, such as COP3 (1997) held in Japan which resulted in the Kyoto Protocol, and COP21 in France that brought about the 2015 Paris Agreement. COP26 – the 26th conference – hosted by the UK and taking place in Glasgow – was considered crunch time by many to build on the
aims of the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change. The goal of the agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. SOUNDING THE ALARM In his opening speech, COP26 President Alok Sharma was forthright, stating that the recent IPCC report in August was a “wake-up call for all of us [and] it made clear that the lights are flashing red on the climate dashboard”. He added: “Human activity is unequivocally the cause of global warming. And we know that the window to keep 1.5°C within reach is closing. The rapidly changing climate is sounding an alarm to the world, to step up on adaptation, to address loss and damage, and to act now to keep 1.5°C alive. “We know that this COP, COP26, is our last best hope to keep 1.5°C in reach. And I know that we have an unprecedented negotiations agenda ahead of us. But I believe this international system can deliver. It must deliver.” Indeed, it must. We’re already at 1.1°C of global warming which has resulted in more intense and catastrophic weather conditions around the world. To achieve 1.5°C, non-binding national targets – nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – to cut or curb greenhouse gas emissions were
THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS…
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OPI asked members of the business supplies sector for their thoughts on COP26, what they’re up to, and sustainability in general.
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Simone Hindmarch, co-founder and Managing Director, Commercial I am hopeful and remain positive that we will see a lasting impact from COP26. I am looking forward to seeing how the cards fall and how the recommendations truly affect business. As a company, we will always do everything we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and this drives our organisation’s goal to be net-zero by 2028. It has been tough to keep doing the right thing when the goalposts keep changing, but our determination is stronger than ever to help affect real and lasting change. With our fleet, for example, we changed to bio-diesel and then moved to hydrogen, as
recommended – then the government moved away from hydrogen to electric vehicles. We need consistency in the messaging from the experts. We have some great organisations like the Planet Mark supporting us and there is certainly a collective determination in business to change. Stephen Ashkin, President, The Ashkin Group The cleaning sector is a relatively small overall contributor to global environmental challenges. But let us not forget how big our industry is, annually consuming tens of billions of pounds of chemicals, paper, plastics and other materials, while employing millions of workers around the globe. It is incumbent on us to do our part. Reducing waste, improving efficiency, utilising responsible sourcing, meeting the requirements of our customers, and caring for our employees – it’s good
fundamental business now as well as in the future. Hopefully, the cleaning industry will be a leader and demonstrate how even SMEs, including those in the services sector, can contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future. Anil Abrol, President, Eco Guardian We’re happy to see progress being made towards protecting and restoring ecosystems, with an emphasis on ending deforestation. Eco Guardian has always invested in renewables, recyclables, and rapid growth crops which come from highly sustainable and certified sources to produce our products. We only align ourselves with manufacturers that have the means to generate their own power and use efficient processes to reduce their carbon footprint. We’re constantly reviewing our products and production to make improvements where possible.
