Next week, the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow at a crucial moment for the fight against climate change. So what is COP all about, and why is it important? Read on and find out.
What is COP?
COP stands for the Conference of Parties and is the annual UN Climate Change Conference that takes place in a different host city each year. The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the COP assesses progress on combatting climate change.
What will happen in Glasgow?
There are three main parts to a COP: negotiations, exhibitions and side events. Alok Sharma MP, Secretary of State of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be COP26 President and will preside over the COP26 negotiations. The negotiations are the key part of the event – the first week is usually technical negotiations by government officials, while the second week is focused more on high level ministerial and heads of state meetings. The negotiations focus on a variety of areas including future emissions reductions that the Parties (or participating countries) agree to.
Why is COP important?
Ever since the first COP in Berlin in 1995, COPs have been used to review what Parties (the countries who signed up) have achieved, and measure progress. They are also where negotiations take place for the next round of emissions reductions. They are a vital means of monitoring the progress made so far and working out the targets that need to be achieved in the future if we are to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Who is taking part?
It is estimated that more than 30,000 people will descend on Glasgow for the event, including representatives of more than 200 countries, business leaders, NGOs, intergovernmental organisations and religious leaders as well as thousands of media personnel.
What can we expect from Glasgow?
The UK Presidency at COP26 has five priorities, outlined by COP26 president Alok Sharma as:
- Adaptation and resilience: ‘Helping people, economies and the environment adapt and prepare for the impacts of climate change.’
- Nature: ‘Safeguarding ecosystems, protecting natural habitats and keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.’
- Energy transition: ‘Seizing the massive opportunities of cheaper renewables and storage.’
- Accelerating the move to zero-carbon road transport: ‘By 2040, over half of new car sales worldwide are projected to be electric.’
- Finance: ‘We need to unleash the finance which will make all of this possible and power the shift to a zero-carbon economy.’
There are also a number of issues that are being carried over from COP25 in Madrid, which took place in 2019. These include:
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including so called Carbon market mechanisms. These would allow countries to use market mechanisms to collaborate internationally on, and attract new investments in, emission reduction projects around the world. Article 6 also includes so called non-market based approaches to also catalyze cooperation that is not based on market mechanisms. Article 6 is also closely linked with issues such a climate financing and transparent reporting, why it is a very complex topic where many parties have strong views.
Funding for Loss and damage: While loss and damage due to climate change is a core part of the Paris Agreement there is no mechanism as yet within the UNFCCC to fund responses when vulnerable countries experience climate-related loss and damage (such as flooding). This is viewed as a critical factor by Least Developed Countries to unlock the negotiations but is resisted by many wealthy nations.
Discussions over the delivery of the $100 billion finance target (the annual financial contribution that parties agreed already at COP 15 in Copenhagen that developed countries should raise to help developing countries deal with climate change) are likely, and again will be a critical factor for less developed countries. Additionally, COP26 is likely to set the next target for a collective climate finance goal to be achieved post-2025.
An increasingly important aspect of the climate debate is around ‘nature-based solutions’ (NBS). That is how nature (forests, agriculture and ecosystems) can become a climate solution for absorbing carbon and for protecting against climate impacts. COP26 will start to discuss how to integrate NBS into the Paris implementation strategy.
The other element of the 'Paris rulebook' which requires agreement is on common timeframes for countries' National Determined Contributions (the national emissions targets) and whether those timeframes should be five years or ten years. The shorter timeframe means revision of NDCs more frequently, potentially driving greater ambition than if they were only revised every decade.
Can I go to COP26?
In spite of all the attention that COP attracts, it is not an event open to the public and to attend you need to be included in a country delegation or an accredited observer delegation. However, many of the events will be live broadcasted and, watching the conference virtually is a recommended option. However, if you want to soak up the atmosphere in Glasgow, there will also be a part open to the public, known as “The Green Zone”. This will be filled with exhibitions, interesting discussions and a lot of opportunities to meet people.
So, how can I get involved?
Be sure to check the UNFCCC COP 26 webpages (updated regularly) and the official COP website at www.ukcop26.org.
COP26 takes place in Glasgow from October 31st to November 12th