COP26 is a glass half full
The Paris Agreement was an exciting breakthrough at COP21 in 2015, when countries pledged to keep global temperature limit well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, all while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. That agreement rightly raised hopes, but six years later, the world is off track in its efforts to achieve either temperature goal.
Did COP26 find a path forward? In many ways, yes. While the conference’s outcomes weren’t as robust or aggressive as some hoped to see, I prefer to focus on the glass that’s half full.
Notable developments included an explicit agreement to accelerate the phase-down of unabated coal power and a phase-out fossil fuel subsidies. Additionally, there was the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, wherein 141 governments covering 90% of the world’s forests agreed to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, along with the U.S.-China Joint Statement on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s, which saw the United States and China commit to “eliminating global illegal deforestation through effectively enforcing their respective laws on banning illegal imports.” These agreements are no small achievement!
Plus, the Global Forest Finance Pledgehas donor countries pledging more than $12 billion of public climate finance. To accompany that commitment, more than $7 billion in private funding was announced to stop deforestation, restore natural habitats and advance sustainable forest and land management. The U.S. also released a Plan to Conserve Forests: Global Carbon Sinksand pledged $9 billion by 2030 to help the effort.
In keeping with the sprit of the season, I’m thankful the nations of the world have strengthened their foundation of global cooperation and forged new commitments to address climate change. And as we move toward a new year, I hope this momentum builds into swift, tangible and equitable action to fulfill these promises.