COP26 president: Countries must deliver on Paris agreement goals

Alok Sharma, president for COP26, the 26th United Nations climate change conference, says countries signatory to the Paris agreement must deliver on all the goals contained in the agreement.

In a letter to countries under the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), on Thursday, Sharma said countries have not delivered on the pace that science requires to cut down emissions below 2°C, and tackle climate change.

He said that the world expects so much from the upcoming climate summit in November, and countries must collectively rise to the challenge.

He further stated that for COP26 to be successful, countries must put the planet on a path to driving down emissions, protecting people and nature from the impacts of climate change, get finance flowing for climate action, and work together to ensure the negotiations are a success.

“In less than four months, we will meet face-to-face in Glasgow for COP26, where we must deliver on the ambitions we set out in the Paris Agreement and the Convention,” the letter reads.

“Although significant progress has been made, we must be honest that collectively we have not yet delivered at the scale and pace that science requires.

“The world will be watching in Glasgow and it is our shared responsibility to rise to the challenge.”

Speaking on the ministerial meeting with 50 governments coming up on July 25 and 26, the COP26 president disclosed that major issues to be discussed include expectations for the climate change conference, keeping alive the dream of achieving 1.5°C, improving adaptation and mobilising financial support for poorer countries.

According to Sharma, the July meeting will be an opportunity for representative ministers from different countries to come together  “in person to discuss their expectations for Glasgow, the shape and substance of the potential outcome, and to provide guidance on outstanding negotiations issues”.

“We will discuss keeping 1.5 alive; scaling up adaptation; loss and damage; Article 6; and mobilising finance. This will be an informal meeting convened under my initiative to exchange views, complementing and fully respecting the formal UNFCCC process,” he said.

“I hope it will be a focused and frank exchange rather than colleagues reading out prepared statements. I ask all those attending to come prepared to look beyond their own positions and towards collective outcomes.”