COP26 climate summit held 31st October until12 November 2021

COP26 is taking place from Sunday, 31st October until Friday, 12 November 2021. It is being held in Glasgow, Scotland this time. COP stands for “Conference of the Parties”. It’s the annual UN climate change conference, where governments over the world get together to make decisions about what they will do for the climate crisis. 26 means that it is the 26th meeting of COP.

The most important agreement that was adopted by 196 parties at COP21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015. It is also called the Paris Agreement. The government pledged to keep the rise in global average temperatures to well below 2 Celsius degrees (preferably 1.5 Celsius degree) above pre-industrial levels.

WMO released the report and pointed out that the extreme climate is becoming the part of our life. The past 7 years temperature was the highest record, and the sea horizon has arisen rapidly since 2013. In the year of 2021, the sea horizon has the highest record so far due to the warmer ocean temperature and acidification.

It is obviously that the countries are still doing less than expected to meet the pledge. The UN has pointed out that by the end of century the warming will be up to 2.7 Celsius degree if the governments cannot do more to meet the pledge.

It is important this year, and hoping the leaders from around the world will take stronger actions so that we can keep 1.5 Celsius degree goal.

“COP26 will not, and cannot be, the end of the story of climate change” said UK’s Boris Johnson, the first leader to speak at the ceremony.

“We face a stark choice. Either we stop it - or it stops us”, said by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and delivering five key messages to world leaders.

Five key priorities we want from COP26:
Speed up action to rapidly cut emissions
Champion nature-based solutions (win-win solutions for sustainability in ecosystems and local communities’ benefits)
Help nature and people adapt in climate change
Finance the future
Implement solutions

Reference:
https://explore.panda.org/untangled/cop-26?gclid=CjwKCAjwoP6LBhBlEiwAvCcthF8h9CTtIVVQwFw_nFtVXYgyug9JJhz71DiLV5CGZJWMQttPrY3HDhoCWosQAvD_BwE
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1104542