The Conference of Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland, main agenda was a clarion call to reduce global warming to 1.50 commonly regarded as “keeping 1.50 alive.”
The Glasgow decision calls on countries to “revisit and strengthen” their 2030 targets by the end of 2022 to align them with the Paris Agreement's temperature goals. It is in Glasgow where the parties pushed for new additional, adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for climate action; for mitigation adaptation, loss and damage.
It is, therefore, imperative to for the implementation of technological development and transfer of capacity building. As the impacts of global climate change become increasingly apparent across the world, bold action is needed at international level to mitigate these impacts. During the COP26 conference, some of the major activities that are undertaken worldwide and were identified as major contributors of climate change are deforestation and Agriculture.
Furthermore, coal, methane, emissions, cars, financing from banks featured among the COP pledges. With a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions originating in agriculture, forestry and other land- use, 45 governments pledged at COP26 to protect nature and change farming practices to make them more sustainable.
The pledge includes investments to help build resilience to extreme weather. However, this commitment cannot happen just by a word of mouth there are some practices that these countries must commit themselves in doing lest the COP 26 Commitment remain just but a pipe-dream. it is imperative to encourage immediate stoppage of conversion of natural forest, both tropical and temperate peatlands, wetlands, grasslands and other ecologically well-adapted ‘natural’ and high-carbon systems.
Moreover, the search for climate-relevant solutions in the forests and agricultural space must factor in uncertainty and complexity. Forests, trees and the transformation of agriculture remain a proven mitigation and adaptation pathway, which must receive substantially more support in terms of funding and capacity development.
Protecting and restoring habitats is a powerful way to boost resilience to the impacts of climate change. There can be no solution to land degradation or the problems caused by unsustainable agricultural, forestry and fisheries systems without explicit recognition of rights
Mitigation and adaptation actions require, among other things, financial resources, technologies and skills. As has already been the case under the Convention, the Paris Agreement requires developed country Parties to provide financial, technology and capacity building support to developing countries. Moreover, climate finance and justice is paramount in solving climate change issues. It is time to get serious and come together as parties to fight a common enemy that is ravaging the world.
There are compelling moral and economic arguments for significantly increasing climate finance for developing countries and for at least partially covering the loss and damage people in these countries are already suffering due to climate change without having caused it. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries have a historic obligation to do much more. To increase climate finance, however, is not just a moral obligation.
It should also be in the national self-interest of rich countries. Climate finance and compensation are investments that will avoid much costlier future calamities, such as climate refugees and disrupted supply chains that will ultimately have to be tackled. Additionally, there is need to embrace political goodwill among the political leadership. It is time for Politicians to accept the truth if the Glasgow resolutions are to be achieved.
Since time immemorial, too many politicians all over the world, including in Germany and the US, have not been willing to engage with the true costs of inaction and therefore have failed to create the necessary political will and consensus for climate action.
In Germany, for example, even the Green Party has been creating the impression that decarbonization is largely a question of industry regulation, while failing to explain that everybody will need to do their share. In the US, politicians have been promising low gas prices and are asking The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to drill more fossil fuels while claiming climate leadership on the international stage.
If politicians were to explain the urgent need for action instead of being caught up in short-term election cycles and popularity contests, most voters would willingly do their share to ensure their own and the world’s future security and well-being. Also, there is need for market-based solutions and technology application in accelerating market transformations. Government action and cooperation will remain essential.
Scientific knowledge and practical needs must be reconciled, for instance, by providing guidelines and tools for monitoring and evaluation, programs and project management, and financing mechanisms adapted to complex, multilevel and long-term, transformational endeavors.
As the Economist recently stated that even if all Western investments were to become green, only 14 to 32 percent of global fossil fuel production would be affected, since most state-owned coal, oil and gas companies do not operate under the sway of institutional investors or private bankers. Even phasing out the use of fossil fuels in the Western world would be insufficient, as the share of global GDP of non-OECD countries is now more than 50 percent.
There is just no way around cooperation between governments when it comes to climate change, be it through multilateral, bi-lateral or club-based approaches. It appears that a quarter of a century of international climate diplomacy has set the stage for the end game. Policy makers will need to rediscover collaboration and climate change needs to move up on the agenda across all domains of domestic and international statecraft.
Market-based approaches, such as effective carbon pricing, are now critical to support market transformations that have already begun across all sectors of the economy. Green growth will win the day but it needs to be accelerated. There is now a premium for corporates and investors on accountability and short-term actions rather than on lofty goal setting for decades into the future.
Also, the US-China relationship is the key in delivering the COP26 resolutions this is because they are not only the world’s biggest emitters but they also have the power to change course on the climate front. The Paris Agreement was only possible because the leaders of these two countries agreed to collaborate.
Tragically, the US and China are currently involved in a traditional power game, rivalry and competition. Ancient power doctrines unfortunately still govern modern politics and foreign affairs. As man-made climate change is becoming an existential threat to humanity, one would hope that great power politics can give way to joining forces against a new enemy - climate change.
The US and China have the historic opportunity to open up a new chapter in the history of humanity where collaboration trumps the myths of the past. For that to happen, climate diplomacy must become the new currency of international relations. Surely the EU and others would be willing to join a club whose goal is bigger than any national aspiration could ever be.
For the resolution that was agreed on the COP26 in Glasgow, there is need for the parties to commit to commit itself into increasing mitigation ambition, offer their commitment in voluntary cooperation adaptation and commitment to restore loss and damage caused by climate change and support to developing countries showing transparency.
Also, it is imperative to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change. Many developing countries have voiced the expectation that COP26must deliver progress on the Global Goal Adaptation. South Africa in this context called for translating the GGA into quantifiable targets of improving the climate resilience of the global population by 50 per cent by 2030 and at least by 90 per cent by 2050.
In conclusion, it is essential to practice green energy solutions as a practice to adaptations to global warming, this can be done through the use of cleaner means of transportation, reducing factories’ pollution, advancing sustainable agriculture systems, wind, solar, bio mass, geothermal and hydro. The most noteworthy point in using these sources is their clean nature. Renewable energies, like solar.
Invest in as much weatherisation as you can insulate. New windows.
If you can afford it, upgrade to the most energy star energy-efficient appliances.
Dr John Chumo is the secretary, National Environmental Complaints Committee