Funding, cutting emissions… developing countries list demands ahead of COP26

Developing countries have set out their major negotiating demands ahead of the 2021 COP26 climate change convention, scheduled to hold in Glasgow.

In a new position paper on Thursday, over 100 countries demanded that funding needs to be provided for developing countries to fight and adapt to climate change.

The countries also asked that compensation be provided for the impacts they will be subjected to, adding that without progress on these demands, COP26 will not be successful.

There are huge expectations for COP26 in November. It is expected to be the most important meeting on climate change since the 2015 Paris agreement, with a significant progress proposed to have been recorded in the battle against rising temperatures.

The developing countries expressed dismay over the lack of progress they’ve seen so far, particularly at the G7 meeting in the UK in June.

Speaking on the development, Mohamed Adow, director of the thinktank, Power Shift Africa, said developing countries are taking the decision as part of efforts to make better impact through climate change negotiations.

“Developing countries see the lack of progress being made by the likes of the G7 and G20 and have fired the starting gun on the negotiations. Considering the lack of leadership we’ve seen from richer countries, it’s good we’re seeing vulnerable nations upping the urgency,” Adow said.

The countries laid out five major issues which they say are critical for them in the negotiations to include, cutting emissions to reduce global warming; finance to help developing countries fight climate change; adaptation funding; richer countries taking responsibility for loss and damage to developing countries, and for all countries to agree on common timeframes for their national climate plans.

Sonam Wangdi, chair of the group of least developed countries at COP26, said the November conference needs to be a summit that focuses on moving beyond words into action.

“We vulnerable countries are not asking for much – just that richer countries, who have caused this problem, take responsibility by cutting their emissions and keeping their promise to help those their emissions have harmed,” Wangdi said.

“COP26 needs to be a summit where we see action not words. We have enough plans. What we need is for major economies to start delivering on their promises.

“Our economies are suffering in the face of increased climate impacts and budgetary strains. Either we invest our way out of this mess or we face a brutal decade of loss and damage.”