Cabragh Wetlands: COP26 and the climate challenge for us all

In the last two articles we discussed what is meant by climate change, the role of global warming in giving rise to it and the part that CO2 or carbon dioxide plays in global warming.

So, if climate change and global warming are such a threat, what has the international community been doing about dealing with it? Surely, something which is such a threat to the very future of humanity would receive huge attention and be given a very high priority. Look at how the world swung into action against the COVID threat. Well, in fact, it has been a bit slow and mixed.

The possibility of human beings having an impact on climate change was first mentioned in the late 19th century, believe it or not. During the 1960s the role of CO2 in global warming began to become more convincing and by the 1990s with computer modelling and more data available, human-induced global warming’s impact on climate change became the consensus theory amongst scientists. However, it took quite some time for this to be accepted at a social and political level and, indeed, even today, there are some who still doubt its reality. These are often known as climate deniers or sceptics.

A really important organisation in synthesising the science has been the UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC. This body produces periodic overviews of all the scientific data and the research which is being carried out throughout the world and reaches conclusions on causes, effects and future outcomes. It started in the 1990s saying that humans were probably responsible for climate change. Its certainty of this has been increasing and its warnings of the impacts of not reducing greenhouse gas emissions have been getting more and more dire as the years have passed. Keep an eye out for their reports.

The principal international organisation used to address issues which impact on the planet as a whole and to come to agreements on the actions to be taken is the United Nations. You may have heard of Rio, Kyoto, Cancun and, most recently, Paris. These were all the locations for ground-breaking discussions and agreements about climate change.

In 1992 a historic summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. This resulted in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which was the first international recognition of climate change as an issue of international concern. It set no targets and was not binding on countries but it did require the parties to meet at sessions known as the Conference of the Parties or COP. More on this later.

COP3 was held in Kyoto in Japan and adopted the Kyoto Protocol. This legally binding treaty required developed countries to reduce emissions by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels and establishes a system to monitor countries’ progress. However, developing countries including China and India, were not required to take action. Carbon Trading was also set up under this agreement.

Following various half-hearted attempts to move the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol along, in 2010 in Cancun in Mexico, countries committed for the first time to keeping global temperature increases below 2°C . Approximately eighty countries, including China, India, and the United States, as well as the European Union, submitted emissions reduction targets and actions, though scientists said, even at the time, that these were not enough.

After a number of failed attempts to advance matters in Warsaw, Durban and Doha, a historic agreement was signed at COP21 in Paris in 2015. The Paris Agreement requires nearly all countries—both developed and developing—to set emissions reduction goals. However, countries can choose their own targets and there are no enforcement mechanisms to ensure they meet them. The goal is to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C and pursue efforts to keep it below 1.5°C.
And now to 2021 and COP26. The COP26 summit is being held in Glasgow from the 31st October to the 12th November. It has brought parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The goals of COP26 are firstly to encourage countries to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero emissions by the middle of the century and keep the 1.5 degree temperature target within reach.
A second goal, which responds to the reality of climate change, is to encourage actions to protect and restore ecosystems build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives.
A third goal is to get developed countries to make good on their promise to mobilise at least $100bn in climate finance per year by 2020.

The last goal is to finalise the Paris Rulebook (the detailed rules that make the Paris Agreement operational) and to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society.
There has been, and will be, a lot about COP26 in the news over the next few weeks. Look out for it; pay attention and consider how what emerges from it might be relevant to you and yours. If you would like more information go to https://ukcop26.org/.

In the next article we will look at how Ireland is responding to climate change and in the final article at some of the practical things which you, your business and household can do to play your part.