Climate Change

CoP26 Diary (Nov 2): Did you know Brazil’s new NDCs will be even more damaging

A round-up of what went on at the Glasgow summit.

 
By DTE Staff
Published: Wednesday 03 November 2021

The 26th Conference of Parties (CoP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow shifted gears after the participation of several heas of state. November 2, 2021 was reportedly a crowded affair, with long queues holding up those planning to enter the summit. Several also had to turn back. Here’s a snapshot of what went on:

  • Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, announced an additional climate finance contribution of up to $10 billion in the next five years; he did not bring up the phasing out of coal and plan to use it until 2050. 
  • Canada announced a cap on oil and gas sector emissions, but only by 2050. It would not apply to Scope 3 emissions.
  • The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union announced a deal with South Africa. The $8.5 billion deal is aimed at accelerating the African country’s shift away from coal, investing in renewables and protecting coal workers / communities. 
  • The US announced its first contribution to the Adaptation Fund. It also demanded changes in board membership to favour rich countries.
  • Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that Norway would double its contribution to the fund to $1.6 billion by 2026.
  • Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced an aim to mobilise at least 1 per cent of the promised $100 billion by 2023. He said 60 per cent of climate aid would go to the most vulnerable nations adapt to climate change.
  • Civil society participation at CoP26 has been a major issue — long queues with a single entrance to the venue and no access to negotiation spaces. CSOs are watching the plenaries on their laptops inside the venue. Only 36 civil society delegates were allowed to the core area where negotiations took place (source: Earth Negotiations Bulletin). 
  • Brazil’s new nationally determined contributions (NDC), announced Monday (Nov 1), were found set to increase overall emissions, raising deforestation by 16 per cent. 
  • A statement from High Ambition Coalition of vulnerable countries sought more NDCs compatible with a 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature rise scenario before CoP27 and the phasing out of coal. 
  • Developing countries called for space under the CoP for assessing and reviewing delivery towards the $100 billion goal both through 2020 as well as between 2021 and 2025, through official UNFCCC synthesis reports, and continuing LTF discussions until at least 2027 (ENB)
  • The Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use had 110 countries announcing the the aim to end deforestation by 2030.
  • The Global Methane Pledge has nearly 90 members, up from the original 20 in September. Together, they pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030, which could avert 0.2 degrees of global warming. One observer asked, however, why these pledges were not in countries NDCs (ENB)
  • A new draft on Article 6 includes text on indigenous peoples and human rights and the negotiating text has 373 bracketed sections — areas of disagreement, a source said. Negotiations will continue over carrying over Crtified Emission Reductions from Kyoto Protocol, a share of proceeds for adaptation, and overall mitigation of emissions.

 

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