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COP 26 Climate Change commitments ‘far from enough’
…every country, city, company must radically reduce emissions now—UN SG
As climate talks wrap up in Glasgow, Scotland with regards concrete measures to stem the effects of climate change and mitigation and adaption efforts, United Nation’s Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, warns that the pledges made thus far by countries are ‘far from enough’.
Un Secretary General, Antonio Guterres
The Secretary General sentiments come on the heels of the previous day’s announcement of a US-China cooperation agreement — “that I consider an important step in the right direction.”
To this end, he cautioned however, “promises ring hollow when the fossil fuels industry still receives trillions in subsidies, as measured by the IMF (International Monetary Fund).
Speaking to the closing of the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), sponsored Conference of Parties (COP26), Guterres noted that the confab underscores a core truth: “The climate action struggle requires all hands on deck. It is everyone’s responsibility.”
To this end Guterres expressed optimism saying, “I am inspired by the mobilization of civil society; by the moral voice of young people keeping our feet to the fire; by the dynamism and example of indigenous communities; by the tireless engagement of women’s groups; by the action of more and more cities around the world; by a growing consciousness as the private sector aligns balance sheets and investment decisions around net zero.”
He was adamant however, that “Governments need to pick up the pace and show the necessary ambition on mitigation, adaptation and finance in a balanced way.”
According to Guterres, “We cannot settle for the lowest common denominator; we know what must be done. Keeping the 1.5 goal within reach means reducing emissions globally by 45 per cent by 2030.”
He noted however, the present set of Nationally Determined Contributions—even if fully implemented—will still increase emissions by 2030.
According to the latest joint analysis of the Nationally Determined Contributions by UNEP and UNFCCC, we remain on a catastrophic temperature rise track well above 2 degrees Celsius.
As such, Guterres was adamant, “net-zero pledges require rapid, sustained emission cuts this decade.”
The Un Secretary General was unwavering, in his adumbration that every country, every city, every company, every financial institution “must radically, credibly and verifiably reduce their emissions and decarbonize their portfolios starting now.”
Last week, a number of countries committed to working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.
More than 1,000 cities around the world have committed to reaching net zero by 2050 or earlier — sometimes far earlier.
It was noted too that the G20—including the three largest public financiers–have committed to ending overseas coal financing.
To this end Guterres reiterated, “that is why I have been calling for the formation of coalitions of countries, international financial institutions and private finance – as well as renewable energy companies – to support this momentous shift and to organize coalitions in support of specific countries that need to speed up their energy transition.”
He observed that some 30 Member States and regional development banks have pledged immediate support for the clean energy transition in countries and “I urge more financial institutions and investors to follow suit.”
To this end, Guterres noted that “the announcements here in Glasgow are encouraging – but they are far from enough; the emissions gap remains a devastating threat; the finance and adaptation gap represent a glaring injustice for the developing world.”
As such, Guterres was adamant, “we need even more ambition in future revised Nationally Determined Contributions. We need pledges to be implemented, we need commitments to turn concrete, we need actions to be verified, we need to bridge the deep and real credibility gap.”
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