WAS COP26 A SUCCESS? Considered to be the most important climate summit in history, renowned environment campaigner and Willmott Dixon nonexecutive director Jonathon Porritt shares his thoughts on whether COP26 achieved its goals. A mammoth two weeks Going into extra time, the COP26 climate conference ended on Saturday 13 November, with 196 nations committed to a series of targets. Grabbing the headlines was the change of wording from India and China, amongst others, to ‘phase down’ rather than ‘phase out’ the use of coal, although there was far more to the deal than grabbing headlines. Reflecting on the negotiations, they were by no means a failure as they delivered on some of the pre-determined objectives. However, they could have gone much further. Perhaps this was to be expected when asking hundreds of countries, each with differing priorities, to reach a unanimous agreement. The big question is, will the commitments pledged at COP26 keep 1.5oC within reach? I believe 1.5oC is still just about in reach. We are unlikely to have a concrete idea on this, however, until after COP27, at which point countries will be asked to review their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with 2030 in mind, giving a short-term action plan for reducing their emissions. The NDCs agreed
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at COP26 put us on course for around 2.4oC if the Governments deliver on all of their commitments, without slippage or deviation. This substantial gap in outcomes indicates the urgency and importance of the NDC review at COP27.
Further pledges at COP26 As well as the overarching agreement, a range of further pledges and cooperation agreements were made at COP26. A significant example of this is the commitment on the part of some countries to reduce emissions of methane by 30% by 2030. Methane is an important greenhouse gas, although only lightly discussed in comparison to carbon dioxide, it is significantly more powerful when released into the atmosphere, increasing global warming at a higher rate than carbon. The reduction of methane will be a key priority for many countries and forms a key part of the agreement between the USA and China.
Drop a line to our decarbonisation team here An area I was particularly disappointed in was the lack of ownership from richer countries regarding the consequences of their actions when it comes to accelerating global warming, and the impact these actions have had on the developing world.
