The United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland officially opened on Sunday, after being postponed for a year due to COVID-19.
Eddy Pérez, senior analyst for diplomatic and government relations at the Climate Action Network Canada, said that the first day of COP26 was held under the sign of adaptation. Health restrictions related to COVID-19 limit the number of people who can attend the exchanges.
“The convention [a] announced yesterday that there were roughly more than 50,000 registered participants, while the hall itself only allows 10,000 people to be there at the same time, ”Pérez explained.
According to Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, climate policy analyst at Équiterre, COP26 will be one of the most uneven summits in the history of climate conferences.
The vaccination situation is not at all the same everywhere in the world, the price of housing has skyrocketed in Scotland, there are transport problems to get there. [Le nombre limité de participants] is also part of the organizational problems.
Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, Climate Policy Analyst at Équiterre
“All this will ensure that many countries among the least responsible for climate change, but among the most affected, will not send anyone or will be limited to small delegations,” added Mr. Boisseau-Bouvier.
Raise ambitions
At this summit, which will last two weeks, leaders will have to provide an update on the commitments they made under the Paris agreement in 2015, and will have to raise their ambitions.
“Some call it the last chance COP. Time is running out, and leaders must arrive with a real boost in ambition, ”said Mr. Boisseau-Bouvier.
As the climate conference opens, a new report from the World Meteorological Organization released on Sunday argues that the past seven years are shaping up to be the hottest on record and sea level rise is reaching new heights. records.
“It is obvious that we are in the midst of a climate emergency. It is obvious that we have to face it. It is obvious that we must help the most vulnerable to cope. To achieve this, it is essential today to show great ambition ”, declared the administrative secretary of the United Nations framework convention on climate change, Patricia Espinosa, at the official opening of COP26, Sunday.
“The threat of climate calls for more ambitious global actions,” wrote the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, in a blog. She called on “advanced economies to reduce their emissions faster for reasons of equity and historical accountability.”
Set the table
The G20 summit held in Rome on Saturday and Sunday set the stage for COP26. At that meeting, leaders first agreed in writing that it would be better for everyone to limit global warming to 1.5 ° C.
“The leaders of the G20 represent roughly 80% of world GDP, but around 80% of world emissions as well,” said Mr. Boisseau-Bouvier.
They also agreed on carbon neutrality from the middle of the century and recognized that the phasing out of the use of coal and methane was essential in the fight against climate change.
They reached an agreement which is unfortunately insufficient in my opinion, because there is no precise date. The leaders were afraid to take serious action and, unfortunately, that sets the table badly for COP26.
Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, Climate Policy Analyst at Équiterre
Canada wanted the G20 summit to lead to a stronger and more ambitious climate change deal, but leaders still managed to make progress by pledging to address some key issues, the Prime Minister said on Sunday. Justin Trudeau.
He says the summit still managed to make “significant progress” in recognizing that countries should strive to limit global warming to 1.5 ° C.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, at a press conference at the G20 summit
Most of the G20 leaders, including Mr. Trudeau, will travel to Glasgow on Monday directly from Rome for the start of COP26.
Role of Canada
Eddy Pérez explains that the expectations are high on the part of the Climate Action Network Canada towards COP26.
Canada is certainly in a better position, because it was able to put forward a climate plan. He doubled climate finance, but it remains inadequate.
Eddy Pérez, Senior Diplomatic and Government Relations Analyst, Climate Action Network Canada
Mr. Pérez believes that Canada must recognize that it is not doing enough in the fight against climate change and take more action in this direction. “Inaction, we have seen it for the past 30 years, and we are living its consequences. COP26 represents an opportunity for empowerment ”of states and societies, he said.
Mr. Boisseau-Bouvier adds that Quebec will also have to step up its ambitions within the framework of this conference.
With The Canadian Press and Agence France-Presse