Publish : 15 Nov 2021, 12:04 PMUpdate : 15 Nov 2021, 12:21 PM
It is disappointing to see that, at the end of two weeks of negotiations, COP26 ended with what many participants characterized as imperfect progress. Sadly, the bar had been set so low that imperfect doesn’t mean "less good," it means failing to achieve what would have been bad already.
The goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius seems to have evaporated, replaced with the new objective of keeping the hopes of the 1.5C cap alive. For all intents and purposes, that is a statement of clear failure rephrased, for the sake of making it more presentable.
India’s stubborn rejection -- backed by China and other coal-dependent developing nations -- to a clause calling for the “phase out” of coal-fired power resulted in a hurried amendment, and countries will now need to “phase down” their coal use, instead of working toward a “phase out.”
Such ambiguity has never helped, and once again, it shall be the planet, and all of humanity, which suffers the consequences.
Furthermore, while resolving the rules around carbon markets has been termed as a major win of the global conference, it has done little to ease the concerns of vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh about long-promised climate financing from rich nations. This is non-negotiable, and we must continue to push for it.
However, there is some solace in the deal, for the first time, including the term "loss and damage" in the cover section of the agreement. Loss and damage is intended to be a mechanism for getting payment from industrialized countries -- which are the biggest emitters of carbon -- to the developing nations -- which did not contribute to emission but are disproportionately facing the impacts of climate change.
The deal only requires developed countries to essentially continue discussion on the topic, and promises nothing more. Bangladesh, along with other vulnerable countries, needs to continue to demand greater acknowledgement of responsibility from the developed countries. They have to remind the world that while it is “code red” for all of humanity, the vulnerable countries are suffering the most, and will be hit the hardest as climate change impacts intensify.
ED: A failure to decide and act
It is disappointing to see that, at the end of two weeks of negotiations, COP26 ended with what many participants characterized as imperfect progress. Sadly, the bar had been set so low that imperfect doesn’t mean "less good," it means failing to achieve what would have been bad already.
The goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius seems to have evaporated, replaced with the new objective of keeping the hopes of the 1.5C cap alive. For all intents and purposes, that is a statement of clear failure rephrased, for the sake of making it more presentable.
India’s stubborn rejection -- backed by China and other coal-dependent developing nations -- to a clause calling for the “phase out” of coal-fired power resulted in a hurried amendment, and countries will now need to “phase down” their coal use, instead of working toward a “phase out.”
Such ambiguity has never helped, and once again, it shall be the planet, and all of humanity, which suffers the consequences.
Furthermore, while resolving the rules around carbon markets has been termed as a major win of the global conference, it has done little to ease the concerns of vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh about long-promised climate financing from rich nations. This is non-negotiable, and we must continue to push for it.
However, there is some solace in the deal, for the first time, including the term "loss and damage" in the cover section of the agreement. Loss and damage is intended to be a mechanism for getting payment from industrialized countries -- which are the biggest emitters of carbon -- to the developing nations -- which did not contribute to emission but are disproportionately facing the impacts of climate change.
The deal only requires developed countries to essentially continue discussion on the topic, and promises nothing more. Bangladesh, along with other vulnerable countries, needs to continue to demand greater acknowledgement of responsibility from the developed countries. They have to remind the world that while it is “code red” for all of humanity, the vulnerable countries are suffering the most, and will be hit the hardest as climate change impacts intensify.
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