The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, wrapped up last month, and many provisions were agreed upon that could end up changing the trajectory of our planet. World leaders from around 120 countries such as the United States, UK, Germany, France, India, Spain, Canada and Japan were in attendance, and each country made significant pledges to reduce their carbon footprints. Notably absent from the list of in person attendees was Chinese president Xi Jinping, whose country is responsible for 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, choosing instead to deliver a written statement to the COP website and send a delegation led by China’s special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua.
So, what did they agree to? For starters, they agreed to meet again in 2022 to discuss carbon dioxide emissions and pledge to cut down on them. Secondly, they pledged to reduce coal usage, the first time any such pledge has been made at a COP conference. As predicted, they pledged to contribute money to help poorer countries combat the devastating effects of climate change and convert to green energy. Another proposal involves a $1 trillion a year fund beginning in 2025. This comes after the failure of their previous pledge to supply poorer countries with $1 billion a year by 2020.
A monumental pledge made at the conference was an agreement between the U.S. and China to cooperate over the next decade in areas such as clean energy. Considering the political tensions that have existed for decades between the two countries, as well as both of their massive carbon footprints, this agreement to cooperate is monumental and will impact not only
Earth’s future but U.S.-China foreign relations as well.
Leaders also discussed reductions in areas such as deforestation and methane emissions. More than 100 countries agreed to cut methane emissions by 30% and stop deforestation entirely by 2030. These are crucial pledges, as methane emissions are responsible for 1/3rd of human-generated global warming. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and maintaining Earth’s forests will help combat global warming, which is also caused by excess amounts of carbon dioxide. However, many of the major emitters of methane- China, Russia and India- have not joined, so the hope is that they will join soon and real change can begin to happen.
You might be wondering: “Doesn’t this cost a ton of money? Where is it coming from?” Many financial organizations have agreed to support the implementation of green technologies, and they control around $130 trillion dollars. This is an attempt to incorporate private companies in the plan to achieve net zero emissions, however, many believe than without changing their usage of fossil fuels, this pledge could be nothing more than a PR stunt.
One of the key goals of the conference was to re-evaluate the promises made in the Paris Agreement, signed six years ago at COP21. The main pledge made in the treaty was to keep global warming “well below” 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C.The ultimate goal of these conferences is to continue reducing emissions until we hit net-zero, hopefully by the middle of the century.
Countries will meet again next year for COP27 in Egypt.
Meera M
The Carbon Newsprint
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56901261
https://www.nationalworld.com/news/environment/who-is-attending-cop26-country-leaders-and-
other-attendees-at-2021-glasgow-climate-change-summit-3414466
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/11/6df268f9cda6-japan-pm-kishida-leaves-for-cop26-a
fter-general-election.html
https://rhg.com/research/chinas-emissions-surpass-developed-countries/
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-11-01/is-cop26-doomed-to-fail-without-chinas-xi-jinping
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement
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