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Climate Corner COP26: EVERYTHING
YOU NEED TO KNOW

A welcome addition was that of the by 2060, a decade earlier, and Brazil, by 2050, hoping to plate. At the last minute, India further and adaptive to these harsh changes. Finally, the
United States of America, a country that precede both India and Saudi Arabia. China stuck to its plan of watered down the term ‘phase out’ to twelve-year-old budget of $100 billion now falls short in the
rejoined the Paris Agreement after four letting emission rise until the year 2030 before a drastic, ‘phase down’, adding to the face of compounded climate change effects as more than five
years of absence during former President 30-year decline to net-zero emission state. Similarly, a disappointment of experts worldwide. to ten times the amount is required now for climate
Donald Trump’s office. The US not only coalition of more than 100 countries have agreed to reduce The term was accepted, albeit rather adaptation only. It was finally agreed that developed nations
urged other nations to take on more methane emissions by 30% by the year 2030 and another despondently. will double the climate adaptation bit of the spending by the
ambitious targets but also tried to ensure alliance of countries, including the heavily forested Brazil and The Glasgow talks and the plans that year 2025 and countries are to work on a two-year plan to
its presence at the center stage of the Russia, pledged to put a stop to deforestation by 2030 ensued will affect countries based on figure out other ways to escalate the climate funding for the
talks. One of the more pleasant surprises altogether. where they are situated. Island and most vulnerable countries around the globe. Ani Dasgupta,
from the summit came in the form of a Since the Paris agreement, the Glasgow summit marked the deltaic nations will suffer the most as President of the World Resources Institute mentioned, "It is
US-China partnership - a collaborative first time that all the participating countries updated their sea levels rise and the developed inexcusable that developed countries failed to meet their
effort, if you will, from the giant emitters plans. As time is critical and many of the developing countries nations alarmingly fall short of their commitment to deliver $100 billion annually starting in 2020,
to cooperate and speed things along for are hanging by threads while developed carbon emitting pledges every meet. The affected even as they provide hundreds of billions of dollars in
climate positive action, and thereby, play nations grapple with policy reforms and delayed nations made a unanimous plea for subsidies for fossil fuels each year." Ani’s words ring dejected
a catalyst to the big reduction. implementation of the climate plans, envoys from least climatic justice as droughts, as the U.N. Environment
Major polluter countries and those with developed countries (LDC) came down hard on their stronger hurricanes and floods wreak damage. Programme ominously
large populations upped their targets of counterparts, urging them to revisit their pledges every year They argue that what has happened is While early COP26 estimates that budgets for
reducing their carbon footprint as well. and go for more rigorous measures to curb emissions. The not due to their doing but their people climate adaptation will
India, for instance, a densely populated summit agreed that speeding up the process was important are among the world’s most affected. drafts spoke highly need to go up to at least
country heavily reliant on coal power and urged developed nations to try and revise their plans by They proposed a ‘loss and damage’ about phasing out coal $280 billion in less than a
agreed to become a zero-carbon state by the next year, 2022, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. This fund from wealthier countries as decade. Whatever the
the year 2070. Saudi Arabia pledged the announcement came as a response to governments not compensation. While Scotland was and other fossil fuel developed nations offer
same but intends to achieve their target backing up their words with actions in the past, and hopes to game, not many other countries usage, the term was will be far shorter than
inject some accountability onto the supported the notion. In a final act of made murkier when what is realistically
liable parties. compromise, it was agreed that the required.
The COP26, like other world leader discussions known as the Glasgow they mentioned The entire deal was
meetings since the 1990s, has skirted Dialogue will begin between countries ‘unabated’ coal power disappointing, especially
around the topic of calling out the to work out a plan for how this and ‘inefficient’ to the LDCs as COP26
world for using fossil fuels. While it compensation deal may work. ended without any solid
mentioned and encouraged the use of Developed nations also offered subsidies, which plans for their
cleaner energy, it beat around the technical support for affected countries invariably allowed reimbursement or support
bush when it came to asking that would offer advice and guidance some coal and fossil and they mostly left with
countries, especially those producing on how to proceed in the wake of all airy promises of being
oil and coal like Saudi Arabia and the climatic disasters they face. fuel power to be heard in the future. To
Australia, to put a permanent stop to More than a decade ago, developed sneaked in. quote Aminath Shauna,
it. While 1.5% or even 1.8% is an nations such as the United States had Minister of Environment,
ambitious goal, even as a collective agreed to provide $100 billion as Climate Change and
effort, scientists have warned ‘climate finance’ which will help Technology of the
countries strongly on the grave towards funding lesser developed Maldives, "For us, this is a matter of survival. Please do us the
consequences of continuing to use nations set up and adopt cleaner, courtesy to acknowledge that it does not bring hope to our
fossil fuel. They mentioned that if renewable energy as well as cushion hearts but serves as yet another conversation where we put
the targeted percentage of emission the impacted countries as they suffer our homes on the line, while those who have other options
reductions is to be met, up to 90% of the worst of the climatic hazards. The decide how quickly they want to act to save those who don't."
coal reserves and 60% of oil and gas reserves must lie beneath funding was supposed to be done The trajectory of global warming is set at a terrifying 2.9
the ground by the year 2050. While early COP26 drafts spoke annually through a mix of public and based on what the countries are doing on ground this minute
highly about phasing out coal and other fossil fuel usage, the private funding by the year 2020. By and will bring with it some severe consequences. India’s
term was made murkier when they mentioned ‘unabated’ coal 2019, there was only $80 billion in the pledge to lower carbon emissions by 50% by the year 2030 and
power and ‘inefficient’ subsidies, which invariably allowed reserves and most of it was in the form go zero by 2070 has pulled this trajectory down to a 2.4%
some coal and fossil fuel power to be sneaked in. Some of loans instead of grants, putting which is still a far cry from the coveted 1.5%. Even in
countries like China, Iran, South Africa, India and Nigeria further pressure on the LDCs. Affected aggregate, the pledges will fall short of reaching targets
continued to oppose it, emphasizing on the right of developing nations have also complained that the agreed in the Paris climate talks, at least with respect to time.
nations to use cheaper fossil fuel as the developed countries funding leans towards mitigating the 1.8%, the more attainable target according to an analysis from
before them had. They implored that developing nations effects of climate change driven the International Energy Agency, is still a compromise but it is
already have pressured development and poverty eradication hazards and not enough towards something of an improvement that will only come if the
agendas to deal with, without adding costlier power to their making the countries more resilient nations follow through on their promises.

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