Glasgow sits proudly on the banks of the river Clyde, once the heart of Scotland’s industrial glory and now a launchpad for its green energ...
Glasgow sits proudly on the banks of the river Clyde, once the heart of Scotland’s industrial glory and now a launchpad for its green energy transition. It is a fitting host for the United Nations’ climate conference, COP26, where world leaders will be discussing how their countries will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change.
I have been involved in climate negotiations for several years as a former senior UN official and will be in Glasgow for the talks starting October 31. As negotiations get underway, here is what to watch for.
Ambition
At the Paris climate conference in 2015, countries agreed to work to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, aiming for 1.5 degrees Celsius. If COP21 in Paris was the agreement on a destination, COP26 is the review of itineraries and course adjustments.
The bad news is that countries are not on track. They were required this year to submit new action plans – known as national determined contributions, or NDCs. The UN’s latest tally of all the revised plans submitted in advance of the Glasgow summit puts the world on a trajectory to warm 2.7 degrees Celsius, well into dangerous levels of climate change, by the end of this century.
All eyes are on...
