This will be the largest conference since 2015, when the event took place in Paris.
The summit will take place over two weeks up until 12th November. The main theme will be a discussion on carrying out the Paris agreement concluded six years ago. It was at that time that countries agreed to keep the warming of the planet to within 2 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels – and ideally to within 1.5 degrees.
The world is expecting tougher obligations on climate from its leaders and more resolute action – but the anticipation is tinged with some skepticism. In the final analysis, few believe that such a diverse group of countries, against the background of the pandemic and of political and economic disagreements, will reach an agreement on climate.
On the eve of the summit, the World Meteorological Organization published data showing that the last seven years were the hottest ever. According to data from the U.N. programme, the world for now is on a trajectory for a temperature rise of 2.7 degrees by the end of the century.
According to data from Climate Action Tracker, the declared aims will not allow for temperature to be confined to 1.5 degrees – more active measures are required. In order to achieve the goal set down for 2030, emissions must be reduced by 45 % compared to 2010 levels, while obligations as they currently stand assume a rise of 16 % from 2019 levels.
The International Energy Agency calculated that carrying out all the countries’ promises will lead to a temperature increase of 2.1 % by the end of the century. The U.N. notes that only one-fifth of investment at the moment involves “green” development. Experts and researchers acting at the U.N.’s behest calculate that in order to achieve the aim of 1.5 degrees, humankind needs radical measures – an end to felling of forests over the next four years a, the closure of all coal-fired power plants by 2035 and a transition to emission-free energy by 2045.
Environmentalists say leaders must in the next few years take measures to speed up the fight against climate change. The Glasgow summit is to confirm the rules of international accounting for trade in carbon units as well as a collection of funds to finance climate measures in developing countries.
About 120 heads of state and government will take part in the summit, including U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The leaders of China and Russia will not be in Glasgow. Russia and China have already announced that they intend to achieve carbon neutrality 10 years later than Europe and the United States. The position of the third large polluter nation – India – has not yet been officially announced.
Russia has its own goals to achieve in Glasgow, experts say. It is in Russia’s interests to have nuclear energy declared low-carbon, to secure recognition of forest carbon units and the elaboration of an international mechanism to recognise and take due account of those carbon units, said the Russian Minister for Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov.
On the day of the conference opening, the declaration of G20 leaders was published in which G20 countries are to draw up a long-term strategy by 2030 on achieving zero emissions. But the President of COP26, Alok Sharma, has already stated that decisions in Glasgow must be tougher than the Paris Climate agreement of 2015.
