The lead up to COP26
The UK is slated to hold COP26 (the 26th Conference of Parties) in Glasgow from 31st of October to 12th November 2021.[1] The conference has been delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the importance of the event has never been more emphasized. To contextualize, the conference would be attended to by countries which have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to discuss future plans to combat climate change. This should be considered against the context of the Paris Agreement which was created during COP21 in Paris which recognised the causal effect of increased greenhouse gases emissions on global warming, and thus introduced substantive targets for countries to work towards. These are namely keeping the increase in average global temperature below 2 degree Celsius and further limiting it to 1.5 degree Celsius.[2] However, while it is a legally binding convention, the Paris Agreement does not prescribe specific goals for individual countries, allowing them to self-determine their own contribution to the effort to combat climate change. The upcoming COP26 is particularly important as the research shows attempts to keep warming at 1.5 degree Celsius must be achieved in the 2020 decade for the goal to be viable and it will be examined whether countries’ updated self-determined contributions are able to do so.
From the 2019 COP25 in Madrid, parties had agreed to work on reducing their carbon emissions by the Glasgow Conference. While 2020 saw a decline in carbon dioxide emissions by 5.6%, this reduction was largely driven by significantly reduced human activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions rather than due to the effectiveness of states’ measures to reduce emissions.[3] Additionally, the World Meteorological Organisation concerningly reported a record level high (as compared to the annual average over the last 10 years) in terms of the concentration of greenhouse gases (including CO2, methane and nitrous oxide).[4]
Thus, it is important to keep an eye out for the outcome of COP26. It will be an important summit to urge countries to commit to stronger ambitions in relation to the use of fossil fuel, climate financing and more. The various scientific findings only highlight the severity of climate change as a threat to mankind and therefore the need for a fruitful conference where parties agree upon substantive and immediate action to combat climate change.
[1] UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021, ‘COP26 Explained’, (COP26, 2021) <https://ukcop26.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/COP26-Explained.pdf> Accessed on 25 October 2021
[2] UNFCCC, ‘The Paris Agreement: What is the Paris Agreement’ (UNFCCC) https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement Accessed on 25 October 2021
[3] Matt McGrath, ‘Climate change and the Coronavirus: Five charts about the biggest carbon crash’ (BBC News, 6 May 2020) < https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52485712?> Accessed on 25 October 2021
[4] Matt McGrath, ‘Climate change: Greenhouse gases build-up reached new high in 2020’ (BBC News, 25 October 2021) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59016075> Accessed on 25 October 2021
