The UN climate summit in Glasgow (COP26) brought a “historic” compromise to a delayed end, which, however, is viewed by many delegates and most NGOs as a disappointment. It was particularly bitter for climate protectors that at the last minute the wording to turn away from coal was significantly weakened at the instigation of China and India. However, a commitment to the 1.5 degree target and a faster revision of the national climate protection targets was retained.
Shortly before her return trip, Austria’s Environment Minister Eleonore Gewessler put the COP26 results into perspective, which were weak for some of those involved. A failure, like the last one two years ago at the COP25 in Madrid, “we don’t have time for that anymore”. As a result, she sees a lot of light, but also shadow: “A lot of light means that we have a strong result,” namely one with the anchoring of the 1.5 degree target. “We have anchored a process in this text that we will have to deal with as early as 2022 in order to improve the climate targets by 2030.”
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“Moment of truth”
COP President Alok Sharma had previously announced a “moment of truth” for the final spurt of COP26. This manifested itself in the lowest common denominator. With the adopted final text, the Paris Climate Agreement will at least have a set of rules.
Money: The UN Climate Change Conference also called on the countries of the world to initiate the phase-out of coal for the first time. The declaration also calls for “inefficient” subsidies for oil, gas and coal to be abolished.
1.5 degree target: Although this has been strengthened, it seems more and more distant. Sharma said the national pledges made limited the average global temperature rise to only 2.4 degrees Celsius.
UN General Secretary Antnio Guterres warned that the “climate catastrophe” was still “at the door”: “Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread.” The result “keeps the Paris goals alive”, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “This makes us confident that we can offer humanity a safe and prosperous place on this planet.”
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen appealed to push climate protection further. “Even if important progress has been made, overall the results of the UN climate conference are clearly insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and effectively contain the climate crisis.”
“The decisions are toothless, nice words are not enough to solve the climate crisis. After the climate conference in Glasgow we are still on the direct path to the climate catastrophe”, stated Global 2000. Greenpeace criticized that global emissions trading would open a back door for states to put on a green coat and slip away from responsibility.
“Lots of shadow and little light”
WWF saw “a lot of shadow and little light” and criticized the “ambitious negotiating text”, including a 1.5 degree target in the far distance. Instead, they called for climate justice and a rapid end to the fossil fuel age.
Oxfam found that the small steps COP26 has taken should not lead us into the illusion of going home with real success.
Source From: Nachrichten
