The last two weeks were marked by the COP 26 conference in Glasgow, which reunited representatives from 200 countries to discuss actions to strengthen the fight against climate change.
The event started under heavy questioning about its potential to promote change and deliver on its commitments effectively. This concern has been raised on the protests that took place during the event at the streets of Glasgow and by the young generations that keep demanding action. That set the tone for COP 26 to aim for more ambitious goals and question the decision-making factors influencing the solutions and commitments proposed.
This year's event followed the edition that took place almost two years ago, in December 2019. The dreadful consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, associated with the range of environmental disasters that hit the world in the same period, set up a context of the desperate need for solutions. As communities worldwide experience the harsh effects of the health crisis and the climate alterations, the air in Glasgow reflects that yearning for hope, though, under a lot of skepticism.
According to Patrícia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, this is more than an environmental crisis. Climate alterations lead to social distress such as food shortage, floods, droughts, migrations. It is a humanitarian crisis and a source of insecurity and instability that affects the whole societal system and institutions we have built. Thus, the necessity of acknowledging the importance of addressing the social inequalities when discussing climate issues. As former president Obama highlighted, the costs of the transition will bear on the most vulnerable. And it is not unreasonable for them to be scared or resistant to the solutions being presented. Their concerns need to be considered in the decision-making process and addressed adequately to ensure a sustainable transition that includes all.
Below, a brief summary of what most captured my attention among the topics being discussed:
- Renewed focus on the urgency to stop and reverse deforestation
The Declaration on Forests and Land Use, signed by 137 countries - covering over 90 % of the world’s forests - focuses on the sustainable use, protection, and restoration of forests to meet Paris goals.
The declaration gains a more optimistic perspective when associated with another pledge signed in the same week by the CEO of 10 major global agricultural commodity traders, who control leading market shares of commodities with high deforestation risks, such as soy, cattle, cocoa, and palm oil.
- Commitment to reduce methane emissions
The rapid growth in methane and nitrous oxide emissions put us on track for 2.7ºC warming. To achieve the Paris Agreement, we need to focus on more than the decarbonization of the energy industry and need to follow the same pace of reduction for these gases.
The Global Methane Pledge, signed by over 100 countries, representing 70% of the global economy, aims to reduce 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.
- Efforts to support solutions that harness the resilient of nature to restore its biodiversity and ecosystems.
- The upbringing of science-based solutions for the oceans. The oceans have an essential role in supporting us to achieve our environmental goals. We need to conserve and protect marine ecosystems from allowing them to build back their resilience.
- Revised commitment to help poor countries to move away from fossil fuels and deal with the effects of climate change. Nations also have a commitment to ending the use of fossil fuels and stopping public financing of fossil fuels over the next decades.
- Increased ambition towards transitioning to green vehicles and pledge to end the sale of cars run on fossil fuels by 2040.
- Commitment to mobilize funds and investments for large-scale climate action solutions - and the increased investment in green technology and on the development of nature-based solutions, critical for sustainable progress.
- Renewed promise to meet the $100 billion commitment to finance climate change adaptation for developing countries. The initial commitment failed to deliver on the initial timeline, now delayed for 2023. It created disappointment among representatives from these countries that need reassurance on this topic.
The topics addressed in Glasgow are neither new nor exclusive to this conference. They refer to worldwide concerns that have been on several Agendas but still lack implementation and are the pillars to accelerate climate action.
We know what needs to be done. We have the knowledge. To some extent, we have the solutions.
The key issues are the decision-making criteria - and what it prioritizes - and the flow of investments. We need a mindset change. One that leads us forward towards action. One that is transformative and focused on a long-term shared vision.
We need to switch our personal demands and prioritize the ones that came from the Planet we inhabit. Adopting a new perspective on how we interact with nature is a must to support the creation of a regenerative path towards sustainability. The true costs of climate change mitigation can be justified by the multiple immediate benefits to the human condition and nature. "We need to correct the market economic failure in factoring in the true cost of climate damage," said Johan Rockström. There is no progress misaligned with the Earth's needs. And as long as we do not acknowledge the Planet and its nature as a stakeholder in our organizational decisions, we won't have many more to make.
The COP 26 might have failed to deliver on its promises, but it was definitely a mark to raise awareness on the urgency of accelerating action. And that is what will enable hope for our Planet. A desperate hope, as David Attenborough put it. The one that will guide us towards the change we yearn for.
Have a great and impactful week!
Natália Cantarino
Researcher
Center for Responsible Business & Leadership
This article refers to edition #113 of the "Have a Great and Impactful Week" Newsletter.
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