Nigel Topping, High Level Champion for Climate Action at COP26, recently published an engaging and thoughtful article setting the stage for COP26
Only seven weeks left to go before national governments, cities, regions, businesses, investors and citizens meet at COP26 for our last big chance to unite as a global, multilateral community forging a healthier, fairer and more resilient future of net zero emissions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest findings made clear that we are running out of time to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To do it, we need to halve greenhouse gas emissions between 2020-2030 – equivalent to a 7.6 per cent cut every year of the 2020s. At the same time, we need to regenerate nature and build resilience to the floods, droughts, extreme temperatures and other impacts we cannot mitigate.
The number of promising commitments to net zero in or before the 2040s has reached a tipping point, yet examples of those already cutting annual emissions by 7.6% are scarce. So it’s time to act, even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the action needs to be global.