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UN Secretary-General Says COP26 Summit in Glasgow Must Keep One and a Half Degrees Celsius Goal Alive

November 3, 2021

UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressing COP26 World Leaders Summit, November 1, 2021

COP26 World leaders meeting, November 2, 2021

 

UN Secretary-General: COP26 Must Keep 1.5 Degrees Celsius Goal Alive

UN Secretary General at COP26 World Leaders Summit Credit: UNFCCC

See statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at COP26 World Leaders Summit below:

Dear Prime Minister Boris Johnson, I want to thank you and COP President Alok Sharma for your hospitality, leadership, and tireless efforts in the preparation of this COP.

Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The six years since the Paris Climate Agreement have been the six hottest years on record. 

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.

We are digging our own graves. 

Our planet is changing before our eyes — from the ocean depths to mountain tops; from melting glaciers to relentless extreme weather events.

Sea-level rise is double the rate it was 30 years ago.

Oceans are hotter than ever — and getting warmer faster. 

Parts of the Amazon Rainforest now emit more carbon than they absorb.

Recent climate action announcements might give the impression that we are on track to turn things around.

This is an illusion. 

The last published report on Nationally Determined Contributions showed that they would still condemn the world to a calamitous 2.7 degree increase.   

And even if the recent pledges were clear and credible — and there are serious questions about some of them — we are still careening towards climate catastrophe.

Even in the best-case scenario, temperatures will rise well above two degrees.

So, as we open this much anticipated climate conference, we are still heading for climate disaster.  

Young people know it.

Every country sees it.

Small Island Developing States — and other vulnerable ones — live it.

For them, failure is not an option.

Failure is a death sentence.

Excellencies,

We face a moment of truth.

We are fast approaching tipping points that will trigger escalating feedback loops of global heating.

But investing in the net zero, climate resilient economy will create feedback loops of its own — virtuous circles of sustainable growth, jobs and opportunity. 

We have progress to build upon. 

A number of countries have made credible commitments to net-zero emissions by mid-century.

Many have pulled the plug on international financing of coal.

Over 700 cities are leading the way to carbon neutrality.

The private sector is waking up. 

The Net-Zero Asset Owners Alliance — the gold standard for credible commitments and transparent targets — is managing $10 trillion in assets and catalyzing change across industries.

The climate action army — led by young people — is unstoppable.

They are larger.  They are louder. And, I assure you, they are not going away.

I stand with them.

Excellencies, 

The science is clear.  We know what to do.

First, we must keep the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius alive.

This requires greater ambition on mitigation and immediate concrete action to reduce global emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.

G20 countries have a particular responsibility as they represent around 80 per cent of emissions.

According to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in light of national circumstances, developed countries must lead the effort.

But emerging economies, too, must go the extra mile, as their contribution is essential for the effective reduction of emissions.

We need maximum ambition – from all countries on all fronts – to make Glasgow a success.

I urge developed countries and emerging economies to build coalitions to create the financial and technological conditions to accelerate the decarbonization of the economy as well as the phase out of coal. These coalitions are meant to support the large emitters that face more difficulties in the transition from grey to green for them to be able to do it.

Let’s have no illusions: if commitments fall short by the end of this COP, countries must revisit their national climate plans and policies.

Not every five years.  Every year. Every moment.

Until keeping to 1.5 degrees is assured.

Until subsidies to fossil fuels end.

Until there is a price on carbon.

And until coal is phased out.

But we also need greater clarity. 

There is a deficit of credibility and a surplus of confusion over emissions reductions and net zero targets, with different meanings and different metrics.

That is why – beyond the mechanisms already established in the Paris Agreement – I am announcing today that I will establish a Group of Experts to propose clear standards to measure and analyze net zero commitments from non-state actors.

Second, we must do more to protect vulnerable communities from the clear and present dangers of climate change.

Over the last decade, nearly 4 billion people suffered climate-related disasters.

That devastation will only grow.

But Adaptation works.

Early warning systems save lives. Climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure save jobs.  

All donors must allocate half their climate finance to adaptation.

And public and multilateral development banks should start as soon as possible.

Third, this COP must be a moment of solidarity.

The $100 billion a year climate finance commitment in support of developing countries must become a $100 billion climate finance reality.

This is critical to restoring trust and credibility.

I welcome the efforts led by Canada and Germany to help get us there.

It is an important first step — but it delays the largest support for years, and it doesn't give clear guarantees.

But beyond the $100 billion, developing countries need far greater resources to fight COVID-19, build resilience and pursue sustainable development.

Those suffering the most – namely, Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States – need urgent funding.

More public climate finance.  More overseas development aid.  More grants.  Easier access to funding.  

And multilateral development banks must work much more seriously at mobilizing greater investment through blended and private finance.

Excellencies,

The sirens are sounding. 

Our planet is talking to us and telling us something.

And so are people everywhere.

Climate action tops the list of people’s concerns, across countries, age and gender.

We must listen — and we must act — and we must choose wisely.

On behalf of this and future generations, I urge you:

Choose ambition.

Choose solidarity.

Choose to safeguard our future and save humanity.

And I thank you.

UN Secretary-General: COP26 Must Keep 1.5 Degrees Celsius Goal Alive | UNFCCC

World Leaders Kick Start Accelerated Climate Action at COP26

UNFCCC, November 3, 2021

Press release issued on behalf of the UK COP26 Presidency and the COP25 and COP26 High-Level Climate Champions

Commitments at COP today focus on real action to limit rising temperatures Collaboration on green innovation, landmark deforestation commitments, historic methane pledge on the agenda Day three of COP26 answers yesterday’s calls for urgency with tangible action

World leaders are in the UK for day three of COP26 where a wide range of announcements focused on signalling a clear shift from ambition to immediate action. Countries have made unprecedented commitments to protect forests, reduce methane emissions and accelerate green technology.

Amid powerful pleas heard in Glasgow yesterday, world leaders, young people and campaigners all stressed the urgency of taking tangible action to keep the prospect of holding back global temperature rises to 1.5C and building resilience to climate impacts.

114 leaders took a landmark step forward at a convening of world leaders on forests by committing to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. The pledge is backed by $12bn in public and $7.2bn in private funding.

Countries from Canada to Russia to Brazil - which also increased its NDC yesterday - China, Colombia, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo all endorsed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forest and Land Use.

Together, they support  85% of the world’s forests, an area of over 13 million square miles which absorbs around one third of global CO2 released from burning fossil fuels each year.

This announcement was bolstered with a commitment by CEOs from more than 30 financial institutions with over $8.7 trillion of global assets – including Aviva, Schroders and Axa – committing to eliminate investment in activities linked to deforestation.   

Today is also the first time a COP in recent history has hosted a major event on methane, with 103 countries, including 15 major emitters including Brazil, Nigeria and Canada, signing up to the Global Methane Pledge. This historic commitment, led by the US and EU alongside the UK COP26 presidency, equates to up to 40% of global methane emissions and 60% of global GDP.

More than 35 world leaders have also backed and signed up to the new Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda that will see countries and businesses work together to dramatically scale and speed up the development and deployment of clean technologies and drive down costs this decade. Signatories include the US, India, EU, developing economies and some of those most vulnerable to climate change – collectively representing more than 50% of the world’s economy and every region.

The aim is to make clean technologies the most affordable, accessible and attractive choice for all globally in the most polluting sectors by 2030, particularly supporting the developing world to access the innovation and tools needed for a just transition to net zero.

Work will focus on five key sectors – power, road transport, hydrogen, steel and agriculture – which together represent more than half of total global emissions and further demonstrates how countries are moving from commitments to tangible action.

Leaders signed up to the Glasgow Breakthroughs also committed to discussing global progress every year in each sector starting in 2022 – supported by annual reports led by the International Energy Agency in collaboration with International Renewable Energy Agency and UN High Level Champions – and annual discussions of Ministers across government convened around the Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerials. This ‘Global Checkpoint Process’ will seek to sustain and continually strengthen international cooperation across the agenda throughout this decade.

Leaders from South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany and the European Union have announced a ground-breaking partnership to support South Africa with an Accelerated Just Energy Transition.

As a first step, the international partnership has announced that $8.5billion can be made available over the next 3-5 years to support South Africa - the world’s most carbon-intensive electricity producer - to achieve the most ambitious target within South Africa’s upgraded and ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution.

Alongside these strong signals from leaders, negotiators continued their crucial work on the systems and rules that underpin delivery. Early drafts of negotiating texts have been tabled on many issues and experts are working to find common ground, energised by the clear political direction from leaders.

COP26 President, Alok Sharma said:

“Forests are one of our best defences against catastrophic climate change, and essential to keeping 1.5C alive. This historic commitment will help end the devastating effects of deforestation and support the developing countries and indigenous communities who are the guardians of so much of the world’s forests.

“The Glasgow Breakthroughs will help move us towards a global tipping point, where the clean, green technologies we need to reach net zero and keep 1.5C alive are more affordable, accessible and attractive for all than the polluting practices we are leaving behind.

“Today's launch of the Global Methane Pledge is also critical to keeping 1.5C alive. I am proud that COP has played host to a historic pledge which will play a vital role in limiting up to 0.2 degrees of warming across the next decade.”

High-Level Climate Champions for COP25 and COP26, Gonzalo Munoz and Nigel Topping, said:

than 18 sectors of the global economy have already achieved critical momentum, with key private sector actors mobilizing behind the breakthroughs necessary to achieve a net-zero world in time. Now, with more than 35 world leaders signing up to the Breakthrough Agenda, governments across the world will help dramatically scale and speed up the race to zero emissions and deliver the promise of the Paris Agreement. This is what the future of COP is all about - catalysing an innovative ambition loop between political leadership and the dynamism of the private sector to drive towards a resilient, prosperous zero carbon future."

Also at COP today, world leaders, CEOs and philanthropists are expected to launch a series of new initiatives in support of the Glasgow Breakthroughs, including:

The launch of the UK-India led Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid, endorsed by over 80 countries, to mobilise political will, finance and technical assistance needed to interconnect continents, countries and communities to the very best renewable sources of power globally to ensure no one is left without access to clean energy. The Rockefeller Foundation, alongside IKEA Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund, launched the Global Energy Alliance for People & Planet with an initial $10 billion of funding from philanthropies and development banks to support energy access and the clean energy transition in the Global South, in strategic partnership with the UK-led Energy Transition Council. AIM4C, a new initiative led by the US and UAE, with over 30 supporting countries, committed to accelerating innovation in sustainable agriculture, having already garnered $4 billion in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, including $1bn from the US. The Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, headed by Bill Gates, programme aiming to raise $3bn in concessional capital to catalyse up to $30bn of investments in bring down clean technology costs and create markets for green products for green hydrogen, Direct Air Capture, long-duration energy storage and sustainable aviation fuel including £200m of UK support. The First Movers Coalition, a US-led buyers club of 25 major global companies making purchasing commitments to help commercialise key emerging clean technologies across hard-to-decabonise sectors like steel, trucking, shipping, aviation, aluminium, concrete, chemicals, and direct air capture

Two days into COP26, progress is already being made. Yesterday saw India, Thailand, Nepal, Nigeria and Vietnam make new net zero pledges which now means that 90% of the global economy is covered by net zero commitments. India’s announcement also included a suite of ambitious 2030 commitments, including  500GW non fossil fuel power capacity, 50% energy requirements from renewable sources and 45% reduction of the carbon intensity of the economy. We’ve heard new NDC announcements from: Argentina, Brazil, Guyana, India, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique and Thailand and new Long-Term Strategies announced or submitted by Jamaica, Kazakhstan and the USA. On climate finance, we’ve seen new commitments from: Italy, Spain, Australia and Luxembourg.

Note:

On power, road transport, steel, and hydrogen, countries endorsed a Breakthrough goal, the metrics by which it could be measured, and leading initiatives for international collaboration through which it could be achieved. For Agriculture, the UK has committed to working with all interested parties over the course of its Presidency year (2022) to develop similar consensus around the Breakthrough goal, the underlying metrics and the priority initiatives to support the Breakthrough. We are encouraged that the following initiatives have already expressed their willingness to work with us on this: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Global Research Alliance for Agricultural GHGs (GRA); Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA); The global agriculture research organisation known as the CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agriculture); 100 Million Farmers Initiative: Transitioning towards net-zero, nature positive food Systems; Ban-ki Moon Centre for Global Citizens.   The Global Methane Pledge is a US-EU led initiative launched at leaders' level on 2 Nov at COP26. Parties signing the Pledge agree to take national-level, voluntary actions to contribute to reducing global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, using a 2020 baseline. Scientists believe this could eliminate 0.2°C of warming by 2050.   Also today, President Biden launched the First Movers Coalition, which brings together major companies from around the world to make purchasing commitments for innovative technologies in hard-to-abate sectors like heavy industry.   Mission Innovation, launched in Paris in 2015, will play a key role in delivering the Breakthroughs. Four new Missions will be announced during the course of COP26, including ones which will support the achievement of the industry-focused Breakthroughs. Meanwhile, Missions announced in June and co-led by the UK will contribute to the Hydrogen and Power Breakthroughs, with Innovation Roadmaps to be released later in the fortnight.   Leaders attended a number of other high-level events throughout the day, including:

1. The Climate Vulnerable Forum, chaired by Bangladesh, hosted an event to deliver a “Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration” of the      CVF articulating the interests, efforts, and expectations of the CVF members for COP26 and beyond. 2. India hosted a launch, with PM Modi and PM Johnson present, of a technical assistance facility for climate-resilient      infrastructure aimed at Small Island Developing States. 3. The Accelerating Africa’s Adaptation Event, convened by the DRC, AU, Global Centre on Adaptation and Ban-Ki Moon saw a number of donors and African heads of state come together to demonstrate support for African Adaptation Initiatives. 4. Ocean Panel Members met, convened by Norway and Palau, to discuss interconnected ocean and climate issues releasing a call to ‘ocean based climate action.’

The full list of signatories for the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forest and Land Use (as of 1030 GMT, 1 November 2021) is: Albania, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote D'Ivoire, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, European Union, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uruguay, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

World Leaders Kick Start Accelerated Climate Action at COP26 | UNFCCC

U.S. climate envoy Kerry sees 60% chance of capping global temp at 1.5 Celsius

Reuters, November 3, 2021

GLASGOW, Nov 3 (Reuters) -

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said on Wednesday that current commitments on cutting carbon emissions meant the world had a 60% chance of capping a rise in the average temperature at 1.5 degrees Celsius

Speaking at a breakfast event with world mayors at global climate talks in Glasgow, he said with the most recent commitments made at COP26, around 65% of global GDP was now covered by implementable climate change plans.

"But that means 35% isn’t. And we can’t do it without that 35%," Kerry said. "You don’t get this done unless we are all in."

He also highlighted the importance of the world hitting its goal of halving global emissions by 2030 if it wanted to get to net zero emission by mid-century.

"2050 is also gone if you don’t get 2030."

Reporting by Mark John; editing by Simon Jessop and Katy Daigle

U.S. climate envoy Kerry sees 60% chance of capping global temp at 1.5C | Reuters

Russia parries Biden jibe, says climate a topic for next summit

Reuters, November 3, 2021

MOSCOW, Nov 3 (Reuters) -

The Kremlin on Wednesday defended Russia's actions on climate change against criticism by U.S. President Joe Biden, and said a putative second summit between Biden and President Vladimir Putin would offer a chance to discuss the issue further.

At the U.N. climate summit in Scotland on Tuesday, Biden chided the presidents of China and Russia for failing to attend in person, accusing them of a lack of leadership.

"Literally, the tundra is burning. (Putin) has serious, serious climate problems, and he is mum on willingness to do anything," Biden said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was not just Russia's vast tundra wilderness but Californian forests that were burning as a consequence of global warming.

Peskov added: "I'm convinced that when the presidents next talk - the usefulness of which we have already agreed on, as we've mentioned before - I think President Putin will have an excellent opportunity to tell President Biden about what we're doing on climate."

The two leaders held their first summit in June and Russia has said another one could take place before the end of the year.

Despite mutual distrust and a long list of disputes, the two sides have maintained high-level contacts, including a visit to Russia this week by CIA Director William Burns. Burns has met the heads of Russia's Security Council and foreign intelligence agency for talks that Peskov described as "extremely important for bilateral relations". read more

Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov, Alexander Marrow and Tom Balmforth, writing by Mark Trevelyan, editing by Mark Heinrich

Russia parries Biden jibe, says climate a topic for next summit | Reuters 

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