- The COP26 talks will focus on how to use nature to maintain the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era.
- Among these measures, the United Kingdom stated that it will provide 500 million pounds of funds to protect more than 5 million hectares (equivalent to more than 3.5 million football fields) of tropical rainforest and create thousands of green jobs in Africa, Asia and Latin America .
- However, some climate activists worry that high-profile promises may not be fulfilled.
The British host of the COP26 United Nations Climate Summit said that 45 countries will pledge to strengthen the protection of nature and overhaul agriculture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on Saturday.
As the world’s population continues to increase, an official statement issued by Glasgow stated that it is essential to curb global warming caused by agriculture, deforestation and other land-use changes, which account for about a quarter of human global warming emissions. one.
On Saturday, the COP26 talks will focus on how to use nature to maintain the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial era, which is the most difficult goal of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
The average surface temperature has risen by about 1.2C.
British Secretary of the Environment George Eustis said: “In order to maintain a temperature of 1.5 degrees, we need actions from all aspects of society, including an emergency change in the way we manage ecosystems and grow, produce and consume food on a global scale.”
“We need to put people, nature and climate at the core of our food system,” he added.
The statement stated that 45 governments will “commit to take urgent action and investment to protect nature and switch to more sustainable farming practices.”
Supporters include major economies led by the United States, Japan and Germany, as well as developing countries such as India, Indonesia, Morocco, Vietnam, the Philippines, Gabon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Uruguay.
The statement did not give the total funding, but said that these measures will include “using more than $4 billion in new public sector investment for agricultural innovation, including the development of climate-resilient crops and renewable solutions to improve soil health.”
Among these measures, the United Kingdom stated that it will provide 500 million pounds of funds to protect more than 5 million hectares (equivalent to more than 3.5 million football fields) of tropical rainforest and create thousands of green jobs in Africa, Asia and Latin America .
Greenhouse gas emissions from land use range from carbon dioxide released from burning forests to carbon dioxide released from clearing farmland to methane produced when cattle and other livestock digest food.
Headline promise
Some environmental activists say that the UK has changed the way the host country of the climate summit or COP (formally known as the Conference of the Parties) organizes global gatherings, and they usually work behind the scenes to reach consensus.
On the contrary, the UK made headlines this week by announcing a new alliance, such as the phasing out of coal in more than 40 countries, or the major investor having US$130 trillion to promote the development of a green economy.
Some climate activists worry that high-profile promises may not be fulfilled.
“Although these announcements may be important, they are not legally binding,” said Mohamed Adow, director of Kenyan think tank Power Shift Africa. “This cannot be a COP run by a press release.”
He said that the test of agricultural commitments will be how well they are implemented in the formal climate action plans of 45 countries.
Greenpeace executive director Jennifer Morgan said that British media announcements often turned out to be exaggerations.
She said in a statement: “We actually want to find something to celebrate here, but when people keep worrying about everyone being played around, it’s difficult.”
Matt Williams of the London-based energy and climate intelligence agency said that so far, the COP26 summit and the 2030 climate plans of many countries have basically not mentioned food and agriculture.
“This transaction sowed the seeds for food and agriculture and is considered an important part of achieving net zero emissions,” he added.
The British-led nature statement pointed out that land clearing for the production of foods such as “beef, soybeans, palm oil and cocoa” is the main driver of deforestation.
It said that 28 countries that are large consumers of these commodities have joined the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) roadmap launched in February this year.
In order to protect the earth’s oceans from overfishing and warming seas, COP26 stated that more than 10 new countries have signed the goal of protecting at least 30% of the oceans by 2030.
They are India, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Samoa, Tonga, Gambia and Georgia.
