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  • Good COP, dangerous COP? Takeaways from the brand new UN local weather deal

    After two years of preparation and 13 days of robust talks, did negotiators on the UN local weather assembly in Glasgow save the planet?
    In quick: no.

    But they have been hardly anticipated to take action. The annual Conference of the Parties, simply held for the twenty sixth time, is all about getting international locations to regularly ratchet up their measures to defuse international warming.
    The focus of the Glasgow talks was to not forge a brand new treaty however to finalize the one agreed to in Paris six years in the past and to construct on it by additional curbing greenhouse fuel emissions, bending the temperature curve nearer to ranges that don’t threaten human civilization.
    Here’s a have a look at what was achieved in Glasgow:

    Aiming For Fewer Emissions
    Going into the Glasgow talks, most international locations, together with the United States, China and the 27 members of the European Union, declared new, extra bold targets for lowering emissions.
    Some, reminiscent of India, introduced extra measures on the assembly itself. Side offers brokered by host nation Britain lined points reminiscent of reversing deforestation, boosting electrical autos, phasing out coal, clamping down on methane emissions and unlocking investor money for the struggle in opposition to local weather change.
    Within the official negotiations, international locations agreed to firmly concentrate on essentially the most bold purpose within the 2015 Paris accord, of holding international warming from going past 1.5 levels Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit). Experts and weak international locations have lengthy advocated that threshold, however some nations beforehand held onto the choice of aiming for “well below 2 C (3.6 F).”
    They additionally agreed to explicitly goal coal use and fossil gasoline subsidies, although the unique proposals have been tremendously watered down.
    In a bid to spur additional ambition, main emitters can be requested to current new targets on the 2022 UN local weather convention in Egypt.
    Delegates from totally different international locations pose for a gaggle {photograph} within the plenary room on the COP26 UN Climate Summit, in Glasgow on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
    Aid To Poor Countries
    There was dangerous blood going into the assembly as a result of wealthy international locations have failed to satisfy their pledge of offering $100 billion every year by 2020 to assist poor nations deal with local weather change.
    The closing settlement expressed “deep regret” in regards to the funding failure and urges wealthy nations to give you the cash as quickly as potential.
    The share and sum of money earmarked for poor international locations to adapt to rising sea ranges and different impacts of local weather change was additionally elevated, although not by as a lot as that they had demanded.
    No Reparations
    Wealthy nations such because the United States and European Union members rejected calls for to ascertain a fund to compensate poor international locations for the destruction wrought by local weather change, which developed international locations are considerably chargeable for due to their previous emissions.
    Many weak international locations have been angered by the choice however nonetheless backed the settlement within the hope of creating progress on the “loss and damage” challenge subsequent yr in Egypt.
    Alok Sharma, the President of the COP26 summit, at the beginning of a stocktaking plenary session in Glasgow on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
    Carbon Trading Rules
    Fixing the principles on worldwide cooperation for lowering emissions, together with carbon markets, had eluded nations since Paris. Six years on, it remained one of many hardest-fought points within the negotiating room over the previous two weeks.
    The guidelines protecting what’s referred to as Article 6 will change into more and more necessary as international locations and corporations purpose to chop their emissions to “net zero” by 2050 by balancing out any remaining air pollution they produce with an equal quantity of carbon captured elsewhere.
    While a compromise was discovered that proponents say may add trillions of {dollars} to the battle in opposition to local weather change, some international locations and environmental teams worry the deal left important loopholes which may undermine the integrity of the system by permitting sure emissions cuts to be counted twice.
    A shift by Brazil, beneath strain by a few of its main firms, proved decisive in clinching the deal. In return, the nation will get to maintain some carbon credit it amassed beneath an older system that consultants say wasn’t credible.
    A small surcharge on carbon trades will go towards a fund to assist poor international locations adapt to international warming, however campaigners had hoped for the levy to be utilized extra broadly and blamed U.S. opposition for that taking place in Glasgow.
    Technical Tweaks
    Countries agreed to a number of tweaks to the principles on how and the way usually they should report what they’re doing to scale back emissions. While this may increasingly appear technical, consultants argue that better transparency and extra frequent accounting are necessary for constructing belief as a result of nations are intently watching what others do.
    China has been notably cautious of getting others scrutinize its efforts too intently. Along with different developed and rising economies, it’s now anticipated to report each 5 as an alternative of each 10 years.

  • COP26 draft settlement calls on developed world to double its contribution

    The first draft of the anticipated settlement from Glasgow, launched on Wednesday morning, asks developed international locations to double their monetary contribution for adaptation efforts within the creating world, and, for the primary time, features a name for eliminating coal and subsidies for fossil fuels.
    The draft “notes with regret” the failure of developed international locations to ship on their promise to mobilise $100 billion in local weather finance per yr from 2020, and “acknowledges the growing need” of creating international locations resulting from a rising frequency in local weather change impacts in addition to their “increased indebtedness” because of the pandemic.
    It subsequently requires higher assist via grants or different “highly concessional forms of finance” to be made out there however doesn’t point out any minimal quantity that ought to be raised.
    Some creating international locations and the Africa group had, a day earlier, requested the developed international locations to extend the dimensions of worldwide local weather finance to not less than $1.3 trillion by 2030 from the present goal of $100 billion.
    On Wednesday, the BASIC international locations (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) as soon as once more known as for an pressing supply of $100 billion and start discussions on deciding the brand new enhanced goal for local weather finance within the post-2025 interval.

    “…(BASIC) Ministers are concerned that climate finance provided by developed countries has fallen short of the $100 billion per year commitment by 2020 and that finance tends to be provided with unilateral condionality and eligibility criteria, as well as in the form of loans, rather than grants, which aggravates the debt crisis,” BASIC ministers mentioned in a joint assertion.
    “The new collective quantified goal (on finance) must build from a floor of $100 billion per year, be significantly public funded with greater transparency and predictability, and take a balanced approach towards mitigation and adaptation in light of the needs and priorities of developing countries,” it mentioned.
    The draft textual content is anticipated to undergo a number of revisions earlier than it’s agreed on by everybody.

    The first draft has solely placeholders for a number of contentious points as a result of concrete proposals are but to emerge on these. But even the problems which are lined had been assessed to be weak and insufficient by a number of civil society teams and observers current on the assembly.
    “Where is the support to help people forced to pick up the pieces after climate disasters? Where is the action to meet all this talk of urgency? Where are the real commitments that the world needs to limit warming to 1.5°C, or to back up the need for action with climate finance? With this text our leaders are failing us all. These empty words are way off target to meet the scale of the enormous challenge facing humanity,” Teresa Anderson, local weather coverage coordinator at ActionAid International, mentioned.
    The draft textual content urges all international locations to strengthen their targets for 2030, as talked about of their local weather motion plans, by subsequent yr in a fashion that’s essential to align with the worldwide temperature targets (maintaining the rise in temperatures to inside 2°C from pre-industrial occasions).
    For the primary time in any official COP textual content, a point out on elimination of coal and fossil-fuel subsidies has been launched. It is simply an enchantment and no obligation or deadline is sought to be placed on any group of nations, however it’s uncertain whether or not this provision would discover area within the ultimate model of the textual content.

  • After Week 1, progress on warming however key local weather talks nonetheless frozen

    In an evaluation of the key new local weather guarantees through the first three days of the Glasgow convention, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that the guarantees, if fulfilled, might maintain the worldwide rise in temperatures to inside 1.8 levels Celsius since pre-industrial instances.
    This is a major enchancment however as the primary week of the convention drew to a detailed, NGOs and civil society organisations had been complaining concerning the lack of any progress within the negotiations, significantly on troublesome points like finance.
    The convention kicked off with a number of nations asserting stronger local weather change motion. This included India which unveiled a brand new five-point plan that was a major improve from its current guarantees.

    Over 100 nations got here collectively to make a doubtlessly game-changing pledge to chop methane emissions by not less than 30 per cent by 2030. Another set of 100 nations promised to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.
    In a weblog publish, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol stated these can be sufficient to maintain the worldwide rise in temperature to 1.8 levels Celsius, a substantive enchancment over predictions primarily based on earlier guarantees.
    “Ahead of COP26, WEO-2021 (World Energy Outlook, IEA’s flagship publication) showed that even if all announced pledges were implemented in full and on time, the world would be headed for 2.1 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century… Since mid-October, however, more countries have been raising their ambitions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi strengthened the country’s 2030 targets, and pledged to hit net zero emissions by 2070. Several other large economies have also announced pledges to reach net zero emissions… Our updated analysis of these new targets, on top of all of those made previously, shows that if they are met in full and on time, they would be enough to hold the rise in global temperatures to 1.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century,” Birol stated.

    “This is a landmark moment: it is the first time that governments have come forward with targets of sufficient ambition to hold global warming to below two degree Celsius,” he stated.
    According to the official evaluation by UN Climate, the prevailing motion plans of the nations would enable world temperatures to rise till not less than 2.7 levels Celsius from pre-industrial instances by the top of this century. A brand new evaluation incorporating the current enhanced guarantees is but to be made.
    Not everybody was optimistic, although.
    “The announcements made on the first few days, including those by India, are very welcome. But until these announcements become part of an official document and get incorporated into the COP (short for Conference of Parties, the official name for these climate conferences) process, they have little value,” stated Harjeet Singh, Senior Advisor on the Climate Action Network International, a gaggle of over 1500 NGOs in 130 nations.
    Singh, a veteran of those local weather conferences, stated coalitions just like the one on deforestation aren’t new. “Such coalitions do have their utility. But anything that is not part of the official COP process gets very difficult to monitor, and their success is unsure,” he stated, underlining what he known as was a disconnect.

    “The progress on the COP-26 negotiations tells a very different story. Outside, there is talk about trillions of dollars being mobilized for climate action, but inside the negotiations, there is a huge resistance to even clearly define what climate finance means. A vague definition of climate finance will allow rich nations to fudge numbers and evade responsibility,” he stated.
    Singh isn’t the one one involved on the lack of significant progress within the negotiations.
    “There is a danger that this is becoming a negotiation-free climate negotiations,” stated Teresa Anderson, Climate Policy Advisor at ActionAssist International. “In week two, the focus must come back to the negotiations, building trust and the cooperation needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and deliver on finance to protect frontline communities”.

    COP President Alok Sharma, a minister in Boris Johnson’s cabinet, admitted that many of the contentious points remained unresolved within the negotiations, and that these would now be referred to the ministerial conferences which start Monday.
    “This includes the discussions on finance. I hope we will be able to make progress on these next week,” Sharma stated Saturday.
    Asked what number of Covid circumstances had been detected on the convention, Sharma declined to provide a solution aside from saying: “There are no current reasons to be concerned.”

    Availability of local weather finance has been one of the contentious points. Developed nations are below an obligation to offer cash to creating nations to assist them combat local weather change — India has bolstered this saying developed nations can’t get a free go.
    Under the Paris Agreement, the wealthy and developed nations are purported to ship not less than $100 billion yearly from 2020 in the direction of this function. This cash remains to be to be made out there, and simply forward of the Glasgow assembly, developed nations pushed the deadline again by not less than three years.
    The Paris Agreement additionally asks these nations to make sure that they start to boost an quantity greater than $100 billion per yr from the yr 2025.

  • Stronger local weather motion urged at COP26 to keep away from ‘unimaginable’ well being dangers

    From excessive warmth to worsening starvation and water shortages, accelerating local weather change threatens “unimaginable” well being penalties, scientists and well being officers warned on Saturday on the sidelines of the COP26 UN local weather talks in Glasgow.
    As with the Covid-19 pandemic, “it won’t be long before the entire population of the world is affected, directly or indirectly,” stated former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, now head of UK well being charity the Wellcome Trust.
    But an enormous menu of potential adjustments – from making biking and strolling simpler in cities to altering diets and ramping up renewable vitality – may collectively curb warming, defend well being and make life higher for billions of individuals, consultants stated.

    Making these shifts occur would require not simply funding and efforts to make the well being advantages clearer but additionally, crucially, bringing on board individuals who don’t usually work on well being points.
    With big affect on air air pollution and the way folks select to journey, for example, “the minister of transport is probably more a minister of health than the minister of health”, famous Richard Smith, president of the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change.
    Too typically efforts to chop emissions, adapt to local weather threats and take care of well being issues are carried out individually, however “we need these people to work together for integrated solutions”, stated Andy Haines of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
    Doing so would possibly embody issues like including extra bushes and water-absorbing inexperienced areas in poor areas of cities, to handle inequity, flooding and warmth dangers without delay, whereas additionally boosting nature and bettering psychological well being.
    A demonstrator holds an indication whereas she participates in a protest, because the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) takes place, in London, Britain, November 6, 2021. (Reuters)
    “The solutions are the same for the climate, our health and biodiversity,” stated Rayan Kassem, West Asia regional director for Youth4Nature, a inexperienced non-profit targeted on local weather and nature options.
    Air air pollution
    Climate change is already driving numerous well being threats world wide, stated Haines, a professor of environmental change and public well being.
    For occasion, the ranges of insect-carried ailments corresponding to malaria and dengue are altering as climate patterns shift, and warmth deaths are swiftly rising, with over a 3rd of these recorded from 1990-2018 attributed to local weather change, he stated.
    A rising toll of wildfires, floods, droughts and excessive warmth can also be having “really devastating effects” on psychological well being, alongside worries amongst many individuals in regards to the future beneath worsening local weather change, Haines stated.

    As permafrost melts within the fast-warming Arctic, it may even expose “Methuselah organisms” – lengthy frozen and doubtlessly lethal micro organism and viruses, he stated.
    “As we release these we don’t know what is going to happen to human health,” he stated.
    But some well being dangers related to local weather change are already well-known.
    Air air pollution, a lot of it related to using fossil fuels, kills about 7 million folks a 12 months, stated Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, who heads the World Health Organization’s local weather and well being unit.
    A significant step towards lowering that danger could be eradicating what the International Monetary Fund says are $5.9 trillion in direct and oblique subsidies to the fossil gasoline business every year, which makes polluting fuels artificially cheaper, he stated.
    A demonstrator carrying a polar bear costume rides a motorbike throughout a protest, because the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) takes place, in London, Britain, November 6, 2021. (Reuters)
    “We need to stop spending money on the wrong things and start spending it on the right things,” stated Campbell-Lendrum, a eager bicycle owner who biked 1,600 km to the Glasgow summit from Geneva.
    Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, whose nine-year-old daughter Ella died in London in 2013 of a extreme bronchial asthma assault that coroners attributed to “excess air pollution”, informed convention members that “breathing clean air is a human right”.
    The UN Human Rights Council in October handed a decision for the primary time recognising entry to a wholesome and sustainable setting as a common proper.
    Poornima Prabhakaran, deputy director of the Centre for Environmental Health on the Public Health Foundation of India, stated air air pollution additionally had “huge social and economic costs” for her nation, residence to fifteen of the world’s 20 most polluted cities.

    “This crisis is real,” she stated. “We do not want a cosmetic response… We want real and tangible action.”
    People already deprived and least in a position to put together for, reply to and get well from local weather change impacts will likely be damage worst, warned Susan Aitken, chief of the Glasgow City Council.
    “That’s as true here in a city like Glasgow as it is on a global scale,” she stated.
    Greener NHS?
    As they search methods to restrict rising well being threats, medical doctors and hospitals are additionally methods to chop their very own emissions.
    Nick Watts, chief sustainability officer for Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), stated the $120-billion-a-year service accounted for roughly 5 per cent of UK greenhouse gasoline emissions – or about the identical as a rustic like Denmark or Croatia.
    People participate in a protest towards the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 6, 2021. (Reuters)
    To assist meet Britain’s purpose of reducing its emissions 78 per cent by 2035, the service has set an preliminary one-year purpose to eradicate emissions equal to these used to energy 1.1 million properties within the nation yearly.
    That includes issues like making buildings extra energy-efficient, asking suppliers to match the NHS’ net-zero targets and reducing transport emissions from the service itself and its customers via adjustments like extra on-line appointments.
    The NHS’ first zero-emissions ambulance, being trialled in Birmingham, is also parked on the COP26 venue in Glasgow.

    “This is going to be the future of healthcare in this country and everywhere else,” Watts stated on the convention.
    Jeni Miller, government director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, emphasised that many extra nationwide local weather plans have to have in mind well being threats – and that reducing emissions will likely be key to curbing these dangers.
    “The decisions made at COP26 will define the health and well-being of people … for years to come,” she stated.

  • China alleges COP26 organisers didn’t present video hyperlink for Xi’s handle

    Amid intense hypothesis over Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence on the COP26 summit at Glasgow, China on Tuesday alleged that the convention organisers didn’t present a video hyperlink for him to handle the assembly, prompting him to ship a written assertion as an alternative.
    Xi, who skipped the World Leaders Summit on the twenty sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, despatched a written assertion to spotlight China’s stand on the climate-related points. In his written assertion to the COP26, he known as on all international locations to take “stronger actions” to collectively deal with the local weather problem and proposed a three-pronged plan of reaching multilateral consensus, specializing in concrete actions and accelerating the inexperienced transition to scale back carbon emissions.
    Asked why he selected to ship a written assertion on the COP26 summit as an alternative of addressing by way of video hyperlink, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin instructed a media briefing right here on Tuesday that, ?As I perceive it, the convention organisers didn’t present the video hyperlink technique”.
    Xi, 68, has not travelled out of China ever since he returned from his official go to to Myanmar in the course of January, 2020, which is basically attributed to the coronavirus outbreak. Instead, he has been addressing international occasions by means of video hyperlinks. On October 30, he addressed the G20 summit in Rome by means of a video hyperlink.

    Besides Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin additionally selected to skip the all-important international local weather meet, highlighting the rising China-Russia strategic tie-up towards the Biden-led US-EU alliance. Xi’s absence additionally sparked hypothesis that he wish to keep away from any shut door negotiations regarding the pledges on the targets associated to China’s carbon emissions.
    The absence of the highest chief from China, which is the most important emitter of greenhouse gases moreover the US, sparked off hypothesis about Beijing’s local weather dedication amid official media experiences it’s searching for to hyperlink local weather cooperation to the development of strained ties with the US.
    Ahead of the COP26 summit, China has submitted its up to date emissions discount dedication, often called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to the United Nations final Thursday, which local weather activists termed as modest and stated it failed to enhance China’s ambition by a lot.

    The up to date doc contains Xi’s pledge final September that China will attain peak carbon emissions earlier than 2030 and obtain neutrality, also referred to as net-zero, earlier than 2060.
    Compared with China’s earlier NDC, submitted in 2016, there are additionally greater commitments to decreasing emissions by 2030, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
    The earlier purpose to extend China’s share of non-fossil fuels in main vitality consumption has been raised from 20 per cent to 25 per cent.
    China additionally goals to scale back carbon depth, measured as emissions per unit of GDP, by 65 per cent on 2005 ranges, one other 5 per cent improve on its 2016 pledge.
    The nation additionally goals to extend its forest inventory quantity by six billion cubic metres, up from its earlier goal of round 4.5 billion.
    Installed wind and photo voltaic capability will greater than double, from final 12 months’s 535 gigawatts to 1,200GW by 2030, in accordance with the paperwork printed on the web site of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    In his written handle to the COP26, Xi stated, “I hope all parties will take stronger actions to jointly tackle the climate challenge and protect the planet, the shared home for us all,” he stated in his assertion which was launched right here.
    The opposed impacts of local weather change have change into more and more evident, presenting a rising urgency for international motion, he stated.
    Xi made a three-pronged proposal to handle the local weather problem, together with upholding multilateral consensus, specializing in concrete actions, and accelerating the inexperienced transition.

    “When it comes to global challenges such as climate change, multilateralism is the right prescription,” Xi stated.
    The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement present the elemental authorized foundation for worldwide cooperation on local weather.
    Parties have to construct on current consensus, improve mutual belief, step up cooperation and work collectively to ship a profitable COP26 in Glasgow, he stated.

    Parties have to honour their commitments, set real looking targets and visions, and do their greatest in accordance with nationwide situations to ship their local weather motion measures, Xi stated.
    He careworn the duty of developed international locations in tackling local weather change, saying that they need to not solely do extra themselves however also needs to present assist to assist growing international locations do higher.
    He added that China will pace up the inexperienced and low-carbon vitality transition, vigorously develop renewable vitality, and plan and construct massive wind and photovoltaic energy stations.
    China, the world’s largest carbon emitter, has not too long ago launched an motion plan for carbon dioxide peaking earlier than 2030, in addition to a doc titled “Working Guidance For Carbon Dioxide Peaking And Carbon Neutrality In Full And Faithful Implementation Of The New Development Philosophy.”

  • ‘Either we stop it, or it stops us’: Top quotes from COP26 local weather change summit

    World leaders have gathered in Glasgow to participate within the COP26 local weather summit — a UN convention to avert the disastrous results of local weather change.
    The summit comes six years after the Paris Agreement was signed by over 190 nations to restrict rising world temperatures to properly under 2 diploma C with a view of reaching 1.5 diploma C.
    The two-week occasion, from October 31 to November 12, will see leaders from greater than 190 nations, 1000’s of negotiators, researchers and residents coming collectively to strengthen a world response to the specter of local weather change.
    Here are quotes from key gamers:
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
    “Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change. It’s one minute to midnight on that Doomsday clock and we need to act now.”
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the course of the opening ceremony of the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit, in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. (AP)
    “But while COP26 will not be the end of climate change, it can and it must mark the beginning of the end.”
    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
    “If commitments fall short at the end of this COP, countries must revisit their national climate plans and policies – not every five years (but) every year and every moment.”
    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech in the course of the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. (AP)
    “Our addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink. We face a stark choice: Either we stop it — or it stops us. It’s time to say: enough.”
    “Enough of brutalizing biodiversity. Enough of killing ourselves with carbon. Enough of treating nature like a toilet. Enough of burning and drilling and mining our way deeper.”

    “Our addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink. We face a stark choice: Either we stop it – or it stops us. It’s time to say: enough.”
    UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the opening of the World Leaders Summit at #COP26.
    Speech: https://t.co/ExHlJ7d2EC pic.twitter.com/ccT7T2fijY
    — UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) November 1, 2021
    “The science is clear. We know what to do. First, we must keep the goal of 1.5 degree Celsius alive. This requires greater ambition on mitigation and immediate concrete action to reduce global emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.”
    US President Joe Biden
    “Glasgow must be the start of a decade of shared ambition and innovation to preserve our future.”
    “We can do this – we just have to make a choice to do it.”
    President Joe Biden speaks in the course of the COP26 UN Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. (AP)
    “The US is not only back at the table, but leading by example”
    Swedish activist Greta Thunberg
    Greta Thunberg, whereas retweeting an attraction for supporters to signal an open letter accusing leaders of betrayal, wrote: “This is not a drill. It’s code red for the Earth. Millions will suffer as our planet is devastated — a terrifying future that will be created, or avoided, by the decisions you make. You have the power to decide.”

    “Betrayal.That’s how young people around the world are describing our governments’ failure to cut carbon emissions. And it’s no surprise.”
    Almost a million signatures now! Sign right here:https://t.co/MJTQHx4FH0
    — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 1, 2021
    British naturalist David Attenborough
    “Is this how it is doomed to end?”
    Sir David Attenborough delivers a speech on the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday Nov. 1, 2021. (AP)
    “We are, after all, the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth. If working apart, we are a force powerful enough to destabilize our planet. Surely working together, we are powerful enough to save it.”
    “In my lifetime, I’ve witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery.”
    Samoan environmentalist Brianna Fruean
    “We are not just victims to this crisis, we have been resilient beacons of hope. Pacific youth have rallied behind the cry ‘We are not drowning, we are fighting’. This is our warrior cry to the world. We are not drowning, we are fighting. This is my message from Earth to COP.”
    Prince Charles
    “Quite literally it is the last-chance saloon. We must now translate fine words into still finer actions.”
    Prince Charles on the COP26 Summit.
    “Recent IPCC report gave us a clear diagnosis of the scale of the problem. We know what we must do.”
    “I can only urge you, as the world’s decision-makers, to find practical ways of overcoming differences so we can all get down to work, together, to rescue this precious planet and save the threatened future of our young people.”
    Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley
    “Our people are watching and our people are taking note … Can there be peace and prosperity if one-third of the world lives in prosperity and two-thirds live underseas and face calamitous threats to our wellbeing?”
    US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
    “We are filling our end of the bargain at COP. The fact that China isn’t is not something that they can readily point to us.”
    “They are a big country, with a lot of resources and a lot of capabilities, and they are perfectly well capable of living up to their responsibilities and it is up to them to do so.”

  • ‘Either we stop it, or it stops us’: Top quotes from COP26 local weather change summit

    World leaders have gathered in Glasgow to participate within the COP26 local weather summit — a UN convention to avert the disastrous results of local weather change.
    The summit comes six years after the Paris Agreement was signed by over 190 nations to restrict rising international temperatures to nicely beneath 2 diploma C with a view of reaching 1.5 diploma C.
    The two-week occasion, from October 31 to November 12, will see leaders from greater than 190 nations, hundreds of negotiators, researchers and residents coming collectively to strengthen a worldwide response to the specter of local weather change.
    Here are quotes from key gamers:
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
    “Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change. It’s one minute to midnight on that Doomsday clock and we need to act now.”
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks throughout the opening ceremony of the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit, in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. (AP)
    “But while COP26 will not be the end of climate change, it can and it must mark the beginning of the end.”
    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
    “If commitments fall short at the end of this COP, countries must revisit their national climate plans and policies – not every five years (but) every year and every moment.”
    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech throughout the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. (AP)
    “Our addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink. We face a stark choice: Either we stop it — or it stops us. It’s time to say: enough.”
    “Enough of brutalizing biodiversity. Enough of killing ourselves with carbon. Enough of treating nature like a toilet. Enough of burning and drilling and mining our way deeper.”

    “Our addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink. We face a stark choice: Either we stop it – or it stops us. It’s time to say: enough.”
    UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the opening of the World Leaders Summit at #COP26.
    Speech: https://t.co/ExHlJ7d2EC pic.twitter.com/ccT7T2fijY
    — UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) November 1, 2021
    “The science is clear. We know what to do. First, we must keep the goal of 1.5 degree Celsius alive. This requires greater ambition on mitigation and immediate concrete action to reduce global emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.”
    US President Joe Biden
    “Glasgow must be the start of a decade of shared ambition and innovation to preserve our future.”
    “We can do this – we just have to make a choice to do it.”
    President Joe Biden speaks throughout the COP26 UN Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. (AP)
    “The US is not only back at the table, but leading by example”
    “I shouldn’t apologize, but I do apologize for the fact the United States, the last administration, pulled out of the Paris Accords and put us sort of behind the eight ball a little bit.”
    Swedish activist Greta Thunberg
    Greta Thunberg, whereas retweeting an attraction for supporters to signal an open letter accusing leaders of betrayal, wrote: “This is not a drill. It’s code red for the Earth. Millions will suffer as our planet is devastated — a terrifying future that will be created, or avoided, by the decisions you make. You have the power to decide.”

    “Betrayal.That’s how young people around the world are describing our governments’ failure to cut carbon emissions. And it’s no surprise.”
    Almost a million signatures now! Sign right here:https://t.co/MJTQHx4FH0
    — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 1, 2021
    British naturalist David Attenborough
    “Is this how it is doomed to end?”
    Sir David Attenborough delivers a speech on the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday Nov. 1, 2021. (AP)
    “We are, after all, the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth. If working apart, we are a force powerful enough to destabilize our planet. Surely working together, we are powerful enough to save it.”
    “In my lifetime, I’ve witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery.”
    Samoan environmentalist Brianna Fruean
    “We are not just victims to this crisis, we have been resilient beacons of hope. Pacific youth have rallied behind the cry ‘We are not drowning, we are fighting’. This is our warrior cry to the world. We are not drowning, we are fighting. This is my message from Earth to COP.”
    Prince Charles
    “Quite literally it is the last-chance saloon. We must now translate fine words into still finer actions.”
    Prince Charles on the COP26 Summit.
    “Recent IPCC report gave us a clear diagnosis of the scale of the problem. We know what we must do.”
    “I can only urge you, as the world’s decision-makers, to find practical ways of overcoming differences so we can all get down to work, together, to rescue this precious planet and save the threatened future of our young people.”
    Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley
    “Our people are watching and our people are taking note … Can there be peace and prosperity if one-third of the world lives in prosperity and two-thirds live underseas and face calamitous threats to our wellbeing?”
    US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
    “We are filling our end of the bargain at COP. The fact that China isn’t is not something that they can readily point to us.”
    “They are a big country, with a lot of resources and a lot of capabilities, and they are perfectly well capable of living up to their responsibilities and it is up to them to do so.”

  • UK’s Queen Elizabeth pulls out of COP26 following recommendation to relaxation

    Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has pulled out of the COP26 convention in Glasgow subsequent week after she was suggested by medical doctors to relaxation, Buckingham Palace mentioned on Tuesday, in a blow to the United Nations local weather summit.
    A palace supply mentioned the choice to not attend had been taken as a “sensible precaution” and to let everybody know upfront. The 95-year-old queen stays in good spirits and desires COP26 to be a hit, the supply added.

    “Following advice to rest, The Queen has been undertaking light duties at Windsor Castle,” Buckingham Palace mentioned. “Her Majesty has regretfully determined that she’s going to now not journey to Glasgow to attend the Evening Reception of COP26 on Monday, 1st November.
    “The world’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch stayed overnight in hospital on Wednesday after undergoing “preliminary investigations” for an unspecified however not COVID-19 associated ailment.

    Aides gave no particulars on what had prompted the medical consideration, which adopted the cancellation of a go to to Northern Ireland, and a few royal correspondents mentioned they hoped the official model of occasions painted the complete image.

    She carried out her first official engagement because the hospital keep earlier on Tuesday, holding two digital audiences to welcome new ambassadors to Britain from South Korea and Switzerland. Elizabeth, who’s queen of 15 different realms together with Australia, Canada and New Zealand and subsequent 12 months celebrates 70 years on the throne, is understood for her sturdy well being.
    She remains to be finishing up many public duties. Last Tuesday she hosted a drinks reception at Windsor Castle for billionaire enterprise leaders, together with Bill Gates, attending a inexperienced funding convention forward of COP26.News of the cancellation is prone to increase issues about her well being.

    She was just lately overheard saying she was irritated by world leaders who talked about local weather change however did nothing to sort out it. The queen had been as a consequence of attend a night occasion subsequent Monday on the convention the place world leaders will meet, together with U.S. President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Britain, Australia and India.
    She will ship an handle to the assembled delegates through a recorded message, the palace added. Elizabeth’s son and inheritor, Prince Charles, and his eldest son, Prince William, are nonetheless as a consequence of attend. Britain has solid COP26, which begins on Oct. 31, because the final massive likelihood to sluggish rising temperatures, and it hopes to steer leaders to undertake more durable local weather targets. Chinese President Xi Jinping isn’t anticipated to attend, nevertheless, and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin can be not coming.
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioned on Monday it was “touch and go” as as to if COP26 would achieve securing the necessities wanted to restrict the rise within the common international temperature to 1.5 diploma Celsius above pre-industrial ranges and to realize net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.