COP26, the proposals of the Conference on Climate Change

Cop26 – the climate conference that took place in Glasgow – was one of the most important events in recent years, with implications that could be decisive in the fight against climate change. It was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made since the Paris Agreement, but above all to emphasise that prompt and fast-paced action is critical at this stage.

One of the main goals set in Paris is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, which, as things stand, seems impossible to achieve.

What do we need to achieve the 1.5 degree target?

For global warming to stop before the dreaded 1.5 degrees threshold is exceeded, a collective, cross-sector, and complex effort will be needed, involving every single industry, every branch of production, and every political agenda. In this context, it is essential to cut down emissions by almost 50% compared to what they were in 2010. At the moment, however, the forecasts tell us otherwise: it seems that global warming is set to increase by two degrees Celsius, with an inevitable exacerbation of the extreme weather events we have witnessed in recent years.

COP26 Agenda items

More than 100 Countries, represented by their leaders, took part in the Glasgow conference. One of the most important resolutions agreed upon by the attendees was to stop deforestation by 2030 – which would mean protecting about 85% of the world’s forests, including those of major powers such as the USA and China. Among the Countries that have taken action and accepted this resolution are also those that are home to some of the largest forests in the world, first and foremost, Brazil. More often than not, such forests are destroyed to make room for intensive crops (such as soya, cocoa and oil palms), livestock farming and other activities.

Where agriculture is concerned, on the other hand, COP26 participants have agreed that sustainable practices should be identified and encouraged that reduce the impact of the entire industry on the environment. The signatories have pledged to invest USD 12 billion in programmes to stop deforestation. A part will be invested to help the indigenous peoples of the targeted Countries.

The activists stay skeptical

Greta Thunberg called it ‘blah blah blah’. With these words, the young activist and founder of Fridays for Future dismissed the resolutions of the COP26 leaders, claiming that their commitment is performative and not very tangible.

According to climate activist movements such as FFF and Extinction Rebellion, the event failed to open up to the demands of those actively and scientifically concerned with climate change and to listen to the claims of the activists themselves, especially those who belong to the generations that will inevitably suffer the most serious consequences of climate change in the coming decades. The resolutions, environmentalists maintain, often lack a precise deadline and leave plenty of room for those who would rather continue pursuing profit over the good of the planet.

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