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This month, the UK will host the 2021 United Nations Climate COAL, CARS, CASH AND TREES
Change Conference - also known as COP26 Glasgow. What are UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has
the objectives and challenges of this latest gathering of world called on world leaders to make “bold
commitments on coal, cars, cash and
leaders, and will it be any more successful than previous trees” at COP26, reports the Press
climate talks? Association.
Speaking via video link at a pre-COP
WHAT IS COP26? WHY IS THIS ONE SO IMPORTANT? meeting in Milan, Johnson said he had
In 1992, leaders from 154 nations As its name suggests, COP26 is the “seen positive progress so far, but it
and territories across the globe met to 26th session of the COP, bringing isn’t enough” and that he was looking
adopt the United Nations Framework together the now 197 nations and forward to “meeting with leaders – from
Convention on Climate Change territories who are members of the big emitters to climate vulnerable
(UNFCCC), which supports global UNFCCC. It is set to be the biggest nations – to make sure COP26 counts”.
efforts to combat climate change. The climate change conference yet and the He continued: “We need everyone
Conference of Parties (COP) is the largest gathering of world leaders ever to bring their ambition and action,
decision-making body of the UNFCCC to take place in the UK. so we can limit rising temperatures
and has met annually since 1995 to COP26 Glasgow is significant as it is and set the world on the right path
monitor, review and promote the the first COP to review and strengthen to net zero emissions. That means
implementation of the convention. Paris Agreement commitments. The bold commitments on coal, cars,
The 2015 Conference of Parties, UK aims to use the COP26 presidency cash and trees: to drive forward our
also known as COP21, resulted in a to call on all countries to set 2030 green, industrial revolution with clean
landmark international climate treaty, emissions reductions targets to put us energy and electric vehicles, close the
known as the Paris Agreement. on a path to net zero by 2050. gap on the climate finance promised
This will be the first COP since the to developing nations, and halt
THE PARIS AGREEMENT Covid-19 pandemic began, so we can devastating deforestation.”
The Paris Agreement sets out to limit expect to see how nations try to balance
global temperature increases to no their plans for rebuilding economies “Young people around the
more than 2°C - preferably 1.5°C - without causing further harm to the
above pre-industrial levels. environment. It is also the first since world are already paying the
The agreement establishes a the United States rejoined the Paris price for the reckless actions
framework for providing financial, Agreement, so much of the attention of their elders,” Johnson said,
technical, and capacity-building will be focused on US contributions to adding: “Hundreds of millions
assistance to developing countries and the summit.
includes a ‘ratchet’ mechanism that Some are claiming COP26 Glasgow of you are facing rising seas,
requires each country to raise its target to be our last chance to avoid a ‘climate failing crops, burning forests,
every five years. catastrophe’. In an article for The and evermore ferocious storms,
The most recent United Nations Guardian, Professor Tim Flannery, one
Climate Change Conference, COP 25, of Australia’s leading climate advocates daily challenges that lead to
became the longest climate talk on wrote: “Many experts are viewing 2021, lost opportunity. And your
record, finally concluding some 40 and specifically the UN climate change future is literally being stolen
hours after its scheduled end. Despite conference to be held in Glasgow late that before your eyes.”
this, the conference failed to deliver year, as humanity’s last chance to avoid
on its main goals and exposed deep an environmental apocalypse. If there
divisions between developed and was a moment of true emergency in the Johnson added that COP26 could
developing countries. fight to preserve our climate, it is now.” be the beginning of the end of climate
change as the shift on the scale needed
is “perfectly possible”, reports Reuters.
Also at the pre-COP meeting,
Johnson told activists at a
Youth4Climate event that they have
“every right to be angry” about climate
change, according to BBC News.
“Young people around the world are
already paying the price for the reckless
actions of their elders,” Johnson said,
adding: “Hundreds of millions of you
are facing rising seas, failing crops,
burning forests, and evermore ferocious
storms, daily challenges that lead to lost
opportunity. And your future is literally
being stolen before your eyes.”
US Climate Envoy John Kerry told
the activists that COP26 must produce
a “new level of transparency and
accountability”, reports Reuters.
Kerry added that more needed to

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