Cop26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, the first conference of the Parties to be held after the Paris Agreement entered the implementation phase, the international community expects all parties, especially developed countries, to truly implement their emission reduction commitments and take joint actions to effectively address the crises and challenges brought about by climate change.
The past decade has been the hottest decade on record, with extreme weather events related to climate change: heat waves, floods and forest fires intensifying. Considering that greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the main cause of global warming, governments agree that urgent collective action is needed to curb the further exacerbation of climate change.
Average annual land and sea temperatures, 1850-2000 / University of California, Berkeley
Ahead of this meeting, 200 countries have provided their plans to reduce emissions by 2030. Previously, in 2015, they had made commitments to respond globally to the threats posed by climate change, seeking to limit global temperature increases to less than 2°C compared to pre-industrial periods, and to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C – the Paris Agreement, which urges countries to make massive emission reductions until net-zero emissions by 2050.
What will cop26 decide?
Most countries will have plans to cut emissions before the summit – so we can get an early look at whether the world is on track. At the same time, in these two weeks, we can also expect a series of new announcements. Some of them will be very technical, for example: how to implement the details of the Paris Agreement.
Other possible announcements are:
Accelerate the transition from fossil fuel vehicles to electric vehicles
Accelerate the phase-out of coal-fired power generation
Afforestation also reduces the felling of trees
Protecting more people from the effects of climate change, for example by funding coastal defense systems
Up to 25,000 people will gather in Glasgow, including global leaders, negotiators and journalists. At the end of the meeting, it is expected that some form of statement will be issued, or that each country will be required to make specific commitments and sign them.
Will cop 26 have a lot of disagreements?
The conference is expected to see a lot of discussions on funding allocation and climate justice. Because for developing countries, not only do they have fewer carbon emissions per capita, but most of the large amounts of carbon emissions in the past few decades are not the responsibility of developing countries, but they often suffer the most serious and lasting effects of climate change.
Developing countries need funding to reduce emissions and combat climate change. This could mean that countries that rely on coal and hydropower will need to invest more in new energy facilities such as photovoltaics, so how to compensate developing countries affected by climate change will also spark heated discussions.
■ People affected by climate change / bbc
In 2009, rich countries pledged $100 billion a year by 2020 to help poor countries adapt to climate change. However, this goal has still not been achieved, and according to the current schedule, the plan may be postponed until 2023.
How does cop26 affect me?
A series of commitments made in Glasgow can have a direct impact on our daily lives. For example, if you drive a petrol car every day, heat it with a gas boiler or take frequent flights, they are one of the main sources of carbon emissions.
Here are some terms you might hear frequently:
COP26: Cop (conference of the parties.), cop1 (first COP) was held in 1995 and will be the 26th session.
Paris Agreement: For the first time, the Paris Agreement brought all countries together in the world to tackle global warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a single agreement.
IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an organization responsible for conducting in-depth research on climate change and making recommendations for decision-making.
1.5°C: Scientists say that limiting the rise in global average temperatures to less than 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial times would avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
How do we know if cop26 is successful?
There is no doubt that a strong statement that a renewed commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and substantial reductions by 2030 would be a sign of cop26's success if all countries were supported. The statement may also make more specific commitments in terms of phasing out coal production capacity, fuel vehicles and environmental protection.
For their part, developing countries want an important, implementable fiscal package over the next five years to help them adapt to increasing climate change.
Any commitment below these targets will be seen as inadequate, because we have no more time in the face of climate change. Some scientists even believe that it is too late for world leaders to do this, and that the goal of controlling warming within 1.5°C can no longer be achieved.