The 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) is taking place in Glasgow, United Kingdom. World leaders have made extensive announcements in the first three days of COP26, making unprecedented commitments to protect forests, set "net zero emissions targets," reduce methane emissions and accelerate green technologies. (For a review of previous events, please visit our special report on the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) |.)
As the COP26 programme enters its second week, countries, international organisations and the private sector continue to discuss climate change and reach broad consensus in the areas of energy, youth and public empowerment, nature conservation, adaptation, loss and damage, gender and scientific innovation, and transport.
National commitment
【Day 4 Energy Day 】
25 countries agreed to end overseas investments in fossil fuel projects
The United States, Canada and Denmark have signed a UK-led joint statement with public finance bodies pledging to end financing of overseas fossil fuel projects by 2022 and instead prioritise support for the clean energy transition.
India, Indonesia, Philippines: Join the Coal Transition Program
India, Indonesia and the Philippines will follow South Africa in joining the Accelerating Coal Transition as the first recipients of this multi-billion dollar pilot program. The new plan will invest in projects ranging from strengthening the country's capacity to manage the energy transition to decommissioning or other uses of coal assets and creating economic opportunities for coal-dependent communities.
Singapore: Phase out coal power generation by 2050
Singapore has formally joined The Powering Past Coal Alliance, committing to phase out the use of unemissions-reducing coal power generation by 2050 and to limit direct financing of unemissions-reducing coal power.
14 countries made commitments to improve product efficiency
Fourteen countries, including India, Indonesia, Japan and Nigeria, pledged to achieve the largest ever increase in product efficiency by meeting the global goal of doubling the efficiency of lighting, cooling, motors and refrigeration by 2030, with the support of the Climate Group's EP100 initiative involving 129 companies.
【Day 5 Youth and Public Empowerment Day 】
UK announces draft Sustainable Development and Climate Change strategy
The UK has announced a draft Sustainable Development and Climate Change strategy to equip and empower young people with the skills they need to drive future climate action. This includes the introduction of a primary school science modelling curriculum that emphasises nature and understanding of species, supporting the youngest pupils to develop conservation skills.
More than 23 countries have made national climate education commitments
More than 23 countries have put forward impressive national climate education commitments, ranging from decarbonizing the school sector to developing school resources. Countries such as South Korea, Albania and Sierra Leone have pledged to make climate change a core part of their curricula.
UK announces £85,000 research grant
The Special Envoy for girls' education, Helen Grant MP, announced at a co-hosted event with Sierra Leone's Minister of Education, David Sengeh and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the UK has unveiled an £85,000 research grant, To support the nternal Displacement Monitoring Centre to provide better information on the educational needs of refugee children and to enable a more effective international response.
More than 10 nations have announced plans to protect the oceans
More than 10 countries have signed up to the "30by30" goal of protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. These countries are Bahrain, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, Qatar, Samoa, Tonga, Gambia and Georgia. This goal is now supported by more than 100 countries.
【Day 6 Natural Day 】
26 countries develop new agricultural policies
Twenty-six countries have put forward new commitments in two "action agendas" to transform their agricultural policies to become more sustainable and less polluting, and to invest in sustainable agriculture and the science needed to protect food supplies from climate change. All continents were represented, including India, Colombia, Vietnam, Germany, Ghana and Australia.
National commitments consistent with this agenda include:
Brazil plans to expand its ABC+ low-carbon agriculture program to 72 million hectares, reducing emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030. Germany plans to reduce land emissions by 25 million tons by 2030. The UK aims to have 75% of farmers involved in low-carbon practices by 2030. The UK has announced £500m in funding to support a roadmap for trade in forests, agriculture and commodities
The UK has announced £500 million in funding to support the implementation of the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Roadmap (FACT), launched earlier this week on the sidelines of the world Leaders' Summit, in which 28 countries work together to protect forests while boosting development and trade. A further £65 million will support 'Just Rural transformation' to help developing countries shift policies and practices towards more sustainable agriculture and food production.
World Bank adopts Climate Action Plan
Through its Climate Action Plan, the World Bank has committed to spending $25 billion a year on climate finance by 2025, including a focus on agriculture and food systems.
【Day 8 Adaptation, Loss and Damage Day 】
The UK has announced £290m to support developing countries in tackling climate change
To support global efforts to tackle the impacts of climate change, the UK will announce a total of £290 million in new funding, including:
£274 million for Climate Action for a Resilient Asia to help Asia-Pacific countries better plan for and invest in climate action, improve protection and achieve low carbon development. £15 million for an adaptation fund to support developing countries in taking action where it is needed most; £1 million to support faster and more effective global humanitarian action, including the response to climate-related disasters. In addition to the nearly £50 million in new UK support announced during the first week of COP26, the support is also being used to help small island States develop resilient infrastructure to withstand climate shocks and support their capacity building to access finance and technology solutions.
【Day 9 Gender Day and Science and Innovation Day 】
Bolivia: Promoting women's participation in sustainable development projects
Bolivia is committed to promoting the participation of women and girls, in particular indigenous women, Afro-Bolivian women, community women and rural women, in sustainable development projects and to reflecting gender data in its nationally determined Contributions, and to working with UN Women to promote the use of gender disaggregated data in official national statistics on environment and climate change.
Canada: 80% of climate investment goes to achieving gender equality
Canada continues to support women's leadership and decision-making in climate action, and is ensuring that 80 per cent of its $4.3 billion climate investment over the next five years goes towards achieving gender equality. Canada is also seeking investment through environmental censuses to link environmental and socio-economic data, including gender data; Leading the Equal by 30 campaign to promote gender equality in the clean energy sector; At COP26, the multi-stakeholder Gender and Energy Compact was signed.
Sweden: Embedding gender equality in all climate action
Sweden has announced new measures to firmly embed gender equality in all of its climate actions, including incorporating a gender perspective into the work plans of all core operations of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sweden also announced that it was undertaking preparatory work for the possible adoption of a national strategy to integrate a gender perspective into Sweden's implementation of the Paris Agreement.
The United States promotes gender equity in addressing climate change
The United States has made promoting gender equity and equality in addressing climate change a priority in its national gender equity and equality strategy; Allocate at least $14 million from the Gender Equality and Equality Action Fund to climate planning that promotes gender equality; More than $20 million has been invested in actions including increasing economic opportunities for women in the clean energy sector, strengthening action on gender-based violence and the environment, addressing barriers to women's land rights, and supporting women farmers in East Africa to adapt to climate impacts.
Forty-seven countries pledged to build sustainable health systems
Forty-seven countries, including Malawi, Spain, Morocco and the United States, have committed to build health systems that are resilient to the impacts of climate change, low-carbon and sustainable. Forty-two of these countries, which account for more than a third of global healthcare emissions, are committed to developing sustainable, low-carbon healthcare systems. Twelve of the 42 countries have set a deadline of 2050 or earlier for their health systems to reach net zero carbon.
【Day 10 Traffic Day 】
China and the United States agree on a Joint Declaration to strengthen climate action
China and the United States issued the Glasgow Joint Declaration on Intensified Climate Action in the 2020s. Both sides appreciate the work carried out so far and commit to continue to work together and with all parties to strengthen the implementation of the Paris Agreement. On the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, taking into account national conditions, take enhanced climate action to effectively address the climate crisis. The two sides agreed to establish a Working Group on Enhanced Climate Action in the 2020s to advance bilateral cooperation and multilateral processes on climate change.
The two sides plan to cooperate in five areas:
Regulatory framework and environmental standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the 2020s; Maximizing the social benefits of the clean energy transition; Encouraging policies to decarbonize and electrify end-user industries; Key areas related to the circular economy, such as green design and use of renewable resources; Deploy and apply technologies such as carbon capture, utilization, storage and direct air capture. 19 countries support Green Shipping Corridor
Nineteen governments have said they are willing to support the creation of a "green shipping corridor" - a zero-emission shipping route between two ports. This will include the deployment of zero-emission ship technology and the installation of alternative fuel and charging infrastructure in ports to enable zero-emission shipping on major global routes.
The signatories undertake that:
• Promote partnerships to accelerate the decarbonization of the shipping sector and its fuel supply through the Green Shipping Corridor project, with the participation of ports, operators and others along the value chain;
· Identify and explore actions to address barriers to green corridors. This could include, for example, regulatory frameworks, incentives, information sharing or infrastructure;
• Consider incorporating green corridor provisions into the development or review of national action plans;
• Work to ensure that environmental impacts and sustainability are considered more broadly in the pursuit of green shipping corridors.
Important initiative
【Day 4 Energy Day 】
New Deal at COP26: Move away from coal
A coalition of 190 countries and organizations agreed at COP26 to phase out coal-fired power generation and end support for new coal-fired power plants. At least 23 countries have made new commitments to phase out coal-fired power generation, including five of the world's top 20 coal-fired power producers: South Korea (5th), Indonesia (7th), Vietnam (9th), Poland (13th) and Ukraine (19th). Major banks, including HSBC, Fidelity international and Ethos, have pledged to stop financing coal.
Companies supporting the statement include ACWA Power, EDF Group, EDP, Engie, Iberdrola, National Grid, Rsted, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, SSE and others. The UK, the host of COP26, has itself committed to phasing out coal completely by 2024 and decarbonising its electricity system by 2035.
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