The UN Climate Change Conference COP26 is ongoing at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, United Kingdom, from 31 October to 12 November, with the possibility of negotiations spilling over an extra day or two. 

So far, there are over 30,000 people registered to attend representing governments, businesses, NGOs, and civil society groups. In a world shaken by a pandemic, and a fast-closing window of opportunity to avoid climate catastrophe, the pivotal COP26 kicked off. 

“Without decisive action, we are gambling away our last chance to – literally - turn the tide”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said ahead of the meeting. But why could it be our last chance?

Dr. Ash Pachauri, Senior Mentor of Protect Our Planet Movement (POP), attended the conference on behalf of POP and OGCLab.

What is COP26?

COP26, short for the twenty-sixth session of UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, is the biggest and most important climate-related conference on the planet.

The conference comprises the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP16), and the third session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA3). 

Why is it the last chance? 

Like a boa constrictor that slowly squeezes its prey to death, climate change has gone from being an uncomfortable low-level issue, to a life-threatening global emergency, in the past three decades.

Although there have been new and updated commitments made by countries ahead of COP26, the world remains on track for a dangerous global temperature rise of at least 2.7°C this century even if Paris goals are met.

UN chief António Guterres bluntly calls it “climate catastrophe”, one that it is already being felt to a deadly degree in the most vulnerable parts of the world like sub-Saharan Africa and Small Island States, lashed by rising sea levels. Millions of people are already being displaced and killed by disasters exacerbated by climate change.

For Mr. Guterres, and the hundreds of scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scenario of 1.5°C warming, is the “only liveable future for humanity”.

The clock is ticking, and to have a chance of limiting the rise, the world needs to halve greenhouse gas emissions in the next eight years.

This is a gigantic task that we only will be able to do if leaders attending COP26 come up with bold, time-bound and front-loaded plans to phase out coal and transform their economies to reach so called net zero emissions.

What exactly is COP26 hoping to achieve?

The official negotiations take place over two weeks. The first week includes technical negotiations by government officials, followed by high-level Ministerial and Heads of State meetings in the second week, when the final decisions will be made – or not.There are four main points that will be discussed during the conference:

1. Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach

To do this, countries need to accelerate the phase-out of coal, curb deforestation, speed up the switch to greener economies.  Carbon market mechanisms will be also part of the negotiations.

2. Adapt more to protect communities and natural habitats

Since the climate is already changing countries already affected by climate change need to protect and restore ecosystems, as well as build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure.

3. Mobilise finance

At COP15, rich nations promised to channel $100 billion a year to less-wealthy nations by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change and mitigate further rises in temperature. That promise was not kept, and COP26 will be crucial to secure the funds, with the help of international financial institutions, as well as set new climate finance targets to be achieved by 2025.

4. Work together to deliver

This means establishing collaborations between governments, businesses and civil society, and of course, finalising the Paris Rulebook to make the Agreement fully operational. In addition to formal negotiations, COP26 is expected to establish new initiatives and coalitions for delivering climate action.

Text and photo sources: un.org