VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

COP26 in Glasgow, UK held on October 31st until November 12th 2021 - 

In December 2015 the world came together and agreed the Paris Agreement, a landmark in the global efforts to tackle climate change. In this binding agreement, 196 countries – including the UK and Indonesia - committed themselves to limit the rise in average global temperature to well below 2 degrees and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

COP26 in Glasgow, UK, aims to gather and review these commitments – encouraging all countries to be ambitious so as to meet the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. The UK is hosting the climate change summit in partnership with Italy.

In his speech, the COP26 President Designate highlighted four elements for COP26 to deliver the level of ambition required: 1) climate action plans to significantly reduce emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by mid-century, and to support adaptation to tackle climate threats; 2) concrete action to deliver these plans, including agreements on reducing coal, electric cars, protecting trees and reducing methane emissions; 3) to honour the $100bn dollar pledge; and 4) a negotiated outcome that paves the way for a decade of ever-increasing ambition.

Mr Sharma will echo the call from the countries most vulnerable to climate change, for all G20 countries and major emitters of greenhouse gases to come forward with enhanced, ambitious 2030 climate action plans (Nationally Determined Contributions). The leaders of the G20 countries will meet in Rome at the end of this month.

He will also urge world leaders to take the lead from those climate vulnerable countries which are taking action in the most difficult circumstances to protect the planet and its people.

“COP26 is not a photo op, nor a talking shop. It must be the forum where we put the world on track to deliver on climate. And that is down to leaders. It is leaders who made a promise to the world in this great city six years ago. And it is leaders that must honour it.

“Responsibility rests with each and every country. And we must all play our part. Because on climate, the world will succeed, or fail as one.”

Alok Sharma was also clear that we must see new commitments on public and private finance to support the countries most vulnerable to climate change and progress on adaptation to the effects of our changing climate, accounting for the loss and damage that it can cause.

He also spoke about the work done ahead of COP26 to make it the most inclusive COP to date, despite the unprecedented challenges the world faces in hosting an event during the COVID-19 pandemic. He set out the measures in place to make the Summit safe, including the vaccine offer to developing countries, daily testing regime and social distancing in the venue.

"At COP26 we will also start deliberations on the post 2025 finance goal. And, more broadly, we must address issues such as fiscal space. So I hope we will hear progress on SDR channelling to developing and vulnerable countries at the IMF and World Bank Annual meetings this week" Sharma said//VOI-NK