University Volume 25 | Issue 6 | Tuesday 23rd November 2021
Express
UCCExpress.ie
COP26: Progress but not enough?
ORLA LEAHY News Editor COP26, the 26th ‘Conference of Parties’ since 1995, took place in Glasgow from the 1st to the 12th of November, at which 196 nations were represented. At COP26, the Glasgow Climate Pact was agreed upon. The official United Nations’ COP26 public relations page describes the pact as “countries [accelerating] progress towards closing the emissions gap.” A short video posted to the page highlights the most significant developments, with 90% of all emissions now being covered by “net zero commitments”, “nationally determined contributions now [covering] 80% of global emissions”, a united agreement to cut methane emissions by 20% by 2030, and faster, more conclusive efforts to implement electric vehicles, and to phase out the use of coal. The United Nations’ page states that the goal envisioned under the 2015 Paris Agreement, to keep green-house gas emissions to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, continues to be within reach, following the Glasgow Climate Pact. The Minister for Environment in Ireland, Eamon Ryan, acknowledges that whilst the agreement is not completely perfect, it is in line with the objective of COP, to “keep 1.5 alive” and does recommit to “keep the global temperature increase at a level that is liveable for humanity.” Whilst overall the milestones set out in the agreement are a positive development, most remain critical of COP’s achievements. Former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, stated that the resulting agreement was “nowhere near enough to avoid climate disaster”,
more needs to be done to prevent climate disaster. Guterres marks the conference as “an important step, but it is not enough.” Significant milestone agreements, such as the package on phasing out coal, were reduced in effect, as language was watered down at a last minute change. While such packages require protection by the people, with COP26 Chairman, Alok Sharma, stating, “it is vital that we protect this package”, further action is required to allow us to withdraw from what Guterres described as “knocking on the door of climate catastrophe.”
It is notable that the action which has garnered most media attention in the field of climate justice in the last three years has been the climate strikes led by youth activists across the globe. Speaking to a number of Youth Delegates at COP26, the US Special Envoy on Climate, Secretary John Kerry, stated that “your movement and the things that you’re saying are on the lips of everybody and National Union of Students’ UK here in discussions, people all talk about President Larissa Kennedy noted that, responsibility to your generation, the future.” “COP26 should have been the moment While many are unhappy with the outcome that our world leaders stepped up to the of COP26, it is clear that the true effects challenge, uprooted the system, and saved of the conference are yet to be seen, our planet. Instead, we’ve seen them asleep particularly the actions of people that COP on the job, tinkering about at the edges will incentivise. Posting to her social media and failing to address divestment and accounts on November 15th, two days decarbonisation in any meaningful way.” after COP26 talks concluded in Glasgow, UN Secretary-General António Guterres climate activist Greta Thunberg claimed that, acknowledged that, “The outcome of “When enough people come together, then COP26 is a compromise. It reflects the change will come and we can achieve interests, the contradictions and the state almost anything. So instead of looking for of political will in the world today.” hope - start creating it. Now the real work Whilst the finalised agreement is indeed a begins, and we will never give up, ever.” compromise, the general consensus is that