COP26: Cop out, or a mandate for change?
Monitoring COP26 from afar, it appears that the international conference of governments on climate change has been a mixed bag. There has been a lot of noise from politicians – and protesters. But as ever the proof of change will be seen in actual policies.
A friend remarked: effective change won’t happen when the biggest greenhouse gas emitter and world’s biggest economy – China – are not even present. It’s like having a Board meeting without the managing director. Everyone will have to sit around and ask “well, what are we doing here, then?”
China has in fact published a five-year plan, which includes “bending the emission curve” to peak in 2030, and possibly to plateau by 2025. It aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 in the collective bid to keep temperature rises to 1.5C against pre-industrial levels. The US and Europe as a block are aiming for 2050.
India, the world’s third largest emitter behind the US’s second place, is aiming for 2070. This might seem like a shocking “behind the curve” aim.
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