Following a series of reports and studies warning that urgent action is needed to keep the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the increasing global average temperature within 1.5o C, climate negotiations began at COP26 Summit on Sunday. World’s most powerful leaders began their two-week journey of fraught discussions over who should do what to slow the rising global temperature.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of United Nations Climate Change said, “we are extremely grateful to the Government of the United Kingdom for hosting this crucially important conference in these unprecedented times and for making every effort to keep all participants safe and healthy”. She underlined that it is important to convene COP26 despite the pandemic as there is a global temperature rise of 2.7oC.
It is hard to achieve consensus among many diplomats who have gathered in Scotland. Although countries agree on the broader framework and pledge to cut emissions as much as they can, the reality is much more complicated.
World leaders in G20 Rome agreed that they would channel post-Covid stimulus money into climate action and use development banks to mobilize more funds for the developing world. However, this statement dodged the real issue as it lacked concrete information on the amount of money that may be spent or the date by which they could be secured.
Speaking on the opening day, President of COP26, Alok Sharma said that G20 talks had not been easy. He said that this is “one meeting- be it the G-20 or COP26 isn’t going to address everything”. He further stressed the need to accelerate climate action in the upcoming decade.