COP26 A Turning Point?

James Neil 27/10/2021

image of the closing plenary of cop25 in 2019- image courtesy of UNclimatechange|Flickr|

This year, the UK will play host to many countries and organisations across the globe as they meet in what promises to be one of the largest climate summits in history. The 26th Conference of Parties or COP26 is a summit of countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in 1944.

In the run-up to the event, Greta Thunberg, among many others, have called on politicians to drop the hyperbole and pick up real change.

Come 31 October, the world's eyes will be on Glasgow’s Scottish Events campus and those making decisions there. Given the importance of the conference, let’s go over what key things need to happen to make COP-26 the turning point we need to see.

Actions Not words

It is all well and good for companies and countries to make pledges or give money to the cause, however it often feels that these are empty gestures to placate a climate-conscious public. If we want to see real change from these talks, we need to see meaningful action on pledges made this year. This cannot simply be another way for companies and politicians to engage in conspicuous consumption.

Actively produces strategies for how to achieve 1.5˚C Cap Goals:

If we are going to achieve our climate change goals, we need to actively target areas that cause CO2 emissions, for example, the use of coal-fired power plants and deforestation which add heavily. In doing this and by actively discussing strategies that go beyond petty nationalism these goals are absolutely attainable.

Put $100bn on the table to help developing countries:

We must acknowledge the cost's required to fight climate change. Unfortunately, many developing countries cannot afford the infrastructure needed to achieve a carbon-Neutral future. It is the role of wealthier countries to help these nations foot the bill to protect their people from the dangers of climate change and to allow them to be part of the greener future.

Listening to the warnings of experts:

Organisations like the IPCC are impartial groups that take the scientific consensus and use it to inform policymakers. If we are to have a chance of making a large impact in the fight for climate change, we must make policies that reflect the facts of the situation. The IPCC state that it's possible to succeed in keeping under the 1.5˚C goal and if this were to be done there would be short term successes. However, for lasting change, we need to look at the long term, not just the short term and any plans to tackle the issue must reflect this.

Don’t let it be the end of the conversation:

COP-26 shouldn’t be the end of the discussion. It must be the beginning. We must take an active role in reducing climate change, whilst climate activists in the past haven’t necessarily gone about protesting correctly their message is valid and very important, we mustn’t let Climate change become a backseat issue. It must be at the forefront of our goals if we are to successfully combat its effects. Already we have seen this with ministers under pressure to keep changes made by the House of Lords to a recent climate bill due to the spotlight COP-26 has shone on the issue.

With COP-26 only a few days away we eagerly anticipate its outcomes and look forward with hesitant optimism to the changes it could bring.