This month’s Conference of the Parties (COP) is critical for the future of the climate, and being widely thought of as the last chance for world leaders to commit to action on the climate crisis.
Nov. 1 to12 is the annual meeting of the 197 countries that are members of the United Nations Climate Convention. Having been established in Rio in 1992, this is the 26th meeting of COP, and is being held in Glasgow, Scotland this year.
COP21 took place in Paris in 2015, and for the first time countries agreed to work together to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, and they pledged to make money available to deliver on these aims.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries committed to submitting national plans setting out how much they would reduce their emissions — referred to as “Nationally Determined Contributions” or NDCs.
The agreement is for each country to report on their progress and renew or improve commitments every five years. Yet the commitments made in Paris do not come close to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
To meet this target, human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases need to fall by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 in order to reach net zero by mid-century. Net zero means greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced or equal to that being removed from the atmosphere.
Specific goals for COP26 are seen as essential, and include:
• Reach global net zero by mid-century. Countries need to establish ambitious emissions-reductions targets for 2030 that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century. To do so, countries will need to accelerate the phase-out of coal and other fossil fuels, curtail deforestation, support reforestation and the carbon-sequestration plans, and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
• Protect communities and natural habitats. The climate is changing, and it will continue to change even as we reduce emissions. There is a need to adapt and prepare, especially those already affected by climate change, by protecting and restoring ecosystems, building resilient infrastructure and establishing regenerative-agricultural practices.
• Mobilize finances. To deliver on the first two goals, developed countries must make good on their promise to contribute at least $100 billion in climate finance this year. International financial institutions must play their part. Trillions of dollars in innovation and investment from the private and public sectors will be needed to secure global net zero.
• Solidarity is crucial to mobilize action to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration between governments and communities in establishing policies, practices and procedures.
Pope Francis has warned that it would be a “scandal” if the money governments are spending to rebuild economies and save businesses in the aftermath of the pandemic “were to focus on rescuing those industries that do not contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, the promotion of the least, the common good or the care of creation.” Hence the call to Build Back Better in the Reconciliation Bill with the welfare of children, the elderly, the marginalized and the environment at its core.
Our youth are not being passive about the world they are inheriting. In late October they held their 16th UN conference on the climate crisis, and five courageous young people began a hunger strike on Oct. 20 in front of the White House in support of the Build Back Better Act. As one of their signs reads “No Action on Climate Betrays this and Future Generations.” For latest on their strike go to bit.ly/hungerstrike4climate.
The official website for COP26 is ukcop26.org.
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Laurel Brier is involved with the Kaua‘i Climate Action Coalition. The KCAC meets via Zoom the third Monday of the month. Email kauaiclimate@gmail.com to join or for more information. Education forums are held the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. Nov. 10 will be on the extended producer responsibility for reducing waste and addressing the climate crisis. For more info go to the ZeroWasteKauai Facebook page or register at http://bit.ly/eprkauai.
“Climate Change” is code for “Increase taxes, kill businesses, and inject socialism”.
Instead of a hunger strike, I would prefer that our young people tell each other to wear a pair of jeans, or use a towel more than once before throwing them in the laundry. And if they don’t know why, they need to use their time on their hunger strike to do their homework.
Can the author promise this is the last chance? Everyone is exhausted from the hysterical claims and intellectual dishonesty from e climate ‘scientists’.
I believe in climate change, but I’m disgusted at the cynical hysteria. Everyone knows that without drastic change from China, India, Indonesia et al that no matter what actions the West takes, it simply won’t matter.
The math is unequivocal – there’s no chance to keep below 1.5 degree rise if China et al don’t come along. And the clear-eyed reality is they won’t. India outright rejects any limits. China issues unenforceable promises to mollify the critics, but nothing changes.. Heck, China isn’t even bothering to attend the conference.
Save America Kill the Bill! There is no climate crisis.