“Irrigated”: new draft COP26 agreement defends tough targets Climate crisis news

Glasgow, Scotland – Decisive moves to address the climate emergency (such as moving away from fossil fuels) were put on the table on Friday when climate negotiators agreed to the COP26 agreement, which was just the time for the summit.

However, analysts included a final draft of the latest climate change agreement in Glasgow with notes that have “irrigated” tough targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Fortunately, we still have a reference to get rid of fossil fuels, and we have a reference to coal. It’s a good thing; many hoped it would be a big delay to get rid of it completely, ”said Richie Merzian, a former Australian Government climate negotiator at the Australian Institute.

“But having said that, several notes have been put in place, enough from which you can direct a coal train,” he added.

COP26ak the first draft was released on Wednesday, raising hopes for real action, ending coal use and fossil fuel subsidies, was first introduced in the UN climate text. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia and China have long struggled to reject such languages.

A warning inserted on Friday, which threatens a decisive goal of maintaining a 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7-degree Fahrenheit) rise by the end of the century, will be aimed at shutting down old and obsolete coal factories, not those with new technologies. .

Another provision added in the draft of the previous communiqué was to terminate only fossil fuel subsidies. “As if they were efficient,” Merzian said of the fraud.

“Unfortunately, they are words of relief that allow countries to flee,” he said. “These are the notes we expected, but at least there are some place marks to deal with fossil fuels.”

‘Irrigated’

With regard to stronger targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, a key requirement in climate talks is the lack of language at all, Merzian said.

It is necessary, he added, for a clear text that will force the nation to clearly state its new intentions to reduce emissions -aligned with 5.5C- next year.

“That’s missing, that’s irrigated,” Merzian said.

Scientists say the planet needs to shut down hydrocarbon emissions by about 50 percent over the next eight years; otherwise, keeping the 1.5C target alive will not be available.

Major funding shortfalls

A positive addition to the final draft was financial compensation for the development of numerous and catastrophic climate disasters for developing countries and those on the way.

Wealthy nations – which have emitted large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution – pledged a few years ago to pay $ 100,000 a year to the poor hard hit by climate chaos.

That promise was never fulfilled, however. Friday’s draft text, however, set out a climate repair fund and to help developing countries move away from hydrocarbon energy, the move was welcome.

“I think it’s a step because we recognize the $ 100 billion shortfall, and we’re really calling for it to be fully delivered. That call was very much missing in the previous text,” said Jennifer Tollmann of E3G’s European think tank.

He noted that funding for nations that need to adapt to the catastrophe of the weather has doubled, which he also included in the draft.

Stronger storms, devastating floods, forest fires and rising seas will intensify as the world continues to heat up in the coming decades.

“Doesn’t fill the gap”

Tollmann said that although funding for climate-damaging countries has been positive, the broader problem is a severe lack of funding.

Some observers say that $ 100 billion a year is a drop in the ocean compared to what nations really need to deal with the dire effects of climate change and move away from fossil fuels. It is estimated that anywhere between $ 300 billion and $ 800 billion a year is what is really needed.

“So will that be enough? When we really go backwards, reality does not fill the gap that developing countries need to fully adapt and fully transition. [to green economies], ”he said.

It remains to be seen whether the current COP26 text will last as it did on Friday. Climate negotiation teams are expected to work until Saturday, perhaps more so, to reach an agreement.

In fact Weak nations of the Global South, hope that any agreement will express a serious commitment to finally address the dire climate situation, after 30 years of empty words from world leaders.