Hot Topic

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

The 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

THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS…

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

OPI asked members of the business supplies sector for their thoughts on COP26, what they’re up to, and sustainability in general.

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.

agreed under the Paris Agreement, with countries submitting their emission reduction targets and roadmaps every five years. That was supposed to happen last year, but the pandemic forced the rescheduling of COP26.

MOVING FORWARD

The event comprised four official goals: secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep 1.5°C within reach; adapt to protect communities and natural habitats; mobilise finance; and work together to deliver.

There are always numerous sticking points on any of the issues a COP tries to resolve, with political wrangling and horse-trading continuing throughout the days and nights to find consensus between all 197 nations. The draft agreements – known as cover decisions – undergo several versions as negotiators tussle back and forth over subtle changes in language that can result in an immense impact on their country’s future. The first two COP26 drafts were criticised in many quarters for being “too weak” in their wording, specifically around the text relating to fossil fuel subsidies and the use of coal. However, it was the first time fossil fuels have been included.

Sticking to 1.5°C, which means cutting global emissions by 45% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, and how to achieve this was the main crux of COP26; the second draft “urged” parties to “revisit and strengthen” 2030 targets by the end of 2022.

Financing always causes a kerfuffle. The promised $100 billion-a-year pledge by 2020 by the richest nations destined to help developing ones has not yet been met – and is not expected until 2022 at the earliest. The second draft, however, did recognise the need for increased finance beyond this figure.

IT’S A START

There was no sign of a final cover decision at the time of going to press (12 November), but a lot is riding on the outcome of COP26. A new report by The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) revealed that the world could be heading for 2.4°C of warming based on the short-term commitments made by governments before and during the conference. Worse still, when CAT analysed actual current policies, the data suggested a warming of 2.7°C.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Plenty of deals were struck during COP26, offering signs of positive progress. These include:

• A historic deal on climate cooperation between the US and China, despite the absence of Xi

Jinping at COP26. • A first-time net-zero carbon emissions pledge from India. The announcement was bittersweet,

Our goal is to produce and distribute items that help our customers improve their businesses and have a low to zero impact on our climate.

Ralph Bianculli Jr, Managing Director, Emerald Brand

If we wait for politicians to get these initiatives done, they will never happen. The key to this movement is cross-generation education.

The private sector must lead the way in terms of innovation and transformation. Both will only occur when enough of the world has been educated and will accept nothing less than the necessary change needed to clean the planet up.

Russell Hodson, Group CSR Director, Complete

Sustainability has, quite rightly, moved to the top of the agenda for forward-thinking businesses and COP26 couldn’t be happening at a more relevant time.

One of the main goals of this summit was to keep alive the 1.5°C target to be compliant with the Paris Agreement. This has to all intents and purposes been achieved through the Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda which will assist in global efforts to halving emissions by 2030 and keep 1.5°C alive.

It was backed by nations representing more than 70% of the world’s economy and there have been many other notable commitments made.

However, as we have seen in the past, talk is cheap, and if we are going to avoid the catastrophic results of global warming, we need actions, not words.

Despite the cynicism that climate action attracts, we are seeing a massive shift towards sustainable procurement. As with most things, the pressure for us to change is coming from our customers and their stakeholders, rather than from the government. This is where the momentum for action is being generated.

It is why Complete has committed to building a zero-emissions logistics platform across the UK by Q4 2022. It’s also why we quote Christina Figueres, ex-UN Climate Chief, on the cover of our environmental brochure: “This is the decade and we are the generation.”

We need to deliver a 50% reduction of our CO2 emissions by 2030 if we are to achieve the UK’s target to be net-zero by 2050. COP26 and the UN can set out a framework, but it is up to all of us to do our bit and act now to drive the necessary change to achieve this.

Don Lewis, President, Professional Hygiene, Essity

The climate emergency drives actions from many actors and requires a global answer where private sector leadership is important. In conjunction with COP26 in Glasgow, the Consumer Goods Forum held a panel discussion – Net Zero Industry Transition with the Consumer

however, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a timeline of 2070 – 20 years past the summit’s key goal. Meanwhile, China and Saudi

Arabia have plumped for 2060. • More than 130 leaders committed to ending deforestation and reversing land degradation by 2030. Brazil and Indonesia were signatories, although observers were sceptical of the reality. • Over 100 member states signed up to the

Global Methane Pledge to reduce the potent greenhouse gas by 30% by 2030. However, big methane emitters including Russia, China, India and Australia did not. • The end of coal-fired energy – the single biggest contributor to climate change – may be in sight as 40 countries agreed to transition away from the fossil fuel. Those that did not include some of the biggest coal-dependent countries such as the US, China, India and Australia. • The COP26 declaration on accelerating the transition to 100% zero-emission cars and vans include Ford, General Motors, Jaguar Land

Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Among those missing were Toyota, Volkswagen,

Renault-Nissan and Hyundai-Kia.

THE NET RESULT

The goings-on at COP26 may seem far removed from real life but, make no mistake, the drive to net-zero and adopting a circular economy will affect every business moving forward. The event is also a pretty good indicator of the legislation and regulations that are likely to be implemented.

A good case in point is the recent announcement that the UK will become the first G20 country to enshrine in law the mandatory Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. From 6 April 2022, over 1,300 of the largest UK-registered companies will have to divulge climate-related financial information.

Climate change is high on the public agenda, especially with the younger generation. This cohort of people is already wielding enormous influence, making conscious choices to opt for those brands that address the climate emergency and protect the environment. They will carry this preference into the workplace.

Additionally, net-zero-related technologies and innovations will produce entirely new business models, services and products, creating opportunities that we haven’t even dreamt of yet.

THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS…

Goods Industry – on the industry’s transition to net-zero emissions.

Essity CEO Magnus Groth took part in the discussion together with other business leaders and Gonzalo Muñoz, High-level Champion, United Nations Climate Change.

Essity cooperates with suppliers, governments, customers, experts, and industry peers to lead the change we so urgently need. As such, we have joined the UN’s Race to Zero and the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign.

Wendy Vickery, Marketing Manager, Pentel

Many brands in the OP industry have been committed to improving sustainability for more than the last few years, recognising – as COP26 does – that we all have a duty to safeguard the earth’s resources for future generations.

In the UK, the Plastic Packaging Tax comes into force next year and Pentel has already launched a range of plastic-free packaging options. Globally, we’ve always used cardboard to pack our loose products for the OP sector.

I believe the major brands in the writing instruments industry are making genuine efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. It remains to be seen whether COP26 will do more than just encourage governments and manufacturers in all countries to implement similar initiatives.

Sarah Hunter, Managing Director, Officeworks

[Referring to Officeworks’ support for the UN-backed global climate change initiative, Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign]: Collectively, the retail sector serves millions of Australians every day, so the choices we make can have an enormous impact beyond what we can directly control.

This includes everything from powering our operations with 100% renewable energy to reducing emissions associated with how we source, design, create and transport products, to helping customers make sustainable choices.

By working together as an industry, we can demonstrate the leadership and action needed to limit the worst impacts of climate change.

Lawrence Savage, UK Marketing Manager, ExaClair

Recent reports show consumers are increasingly willing to pay up to 5% more for environmentally friendly items, while additional research highlights that 74% state they would pay more for sustainable packaging.

We are continuing to see the augmentation of ecological products and packaging materials across the sector, including cellogreen, PLA and oxo-biodegradable plastics, as well as more efficient processes that create less excess waste.

Initiatives across the ExacomptaClairefontaine group include using pulp from sustainably managed forests and powering our sites through the use of clean, converted energy, as well as continuously promoting recycling and waste limitation.

A growing number of our products carry the Blue Angel, PEFC and FSC accreditations, including the new Forever Young filing and desktop range from Exacompta, which is made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic waste.