Let’s recap the past two years very quickly – COVID-19 crippled economies, overwhelmed healthcare infrastructure, and affected millions of lives. While geopolitical tensions intensified in some parts of the world, national boundaries became bolder in some other parts of the world. Amidst all this, climate extreme events increased more than ever. The latest IPCC report is a testimony of the unprecedented levels of climate damage done by human activities. The planet and its people have had a lot to suffer. People quickly started using the three R’s hitherto unknown to humankind – “rebound, restart, and reflect,” rather than the traditional “reuse, reduce and recycle”. With this in mind, COP26 is hailed as “our last best chance,” with solutions claimed to be lying in multi-level, multi-lateral, and multifarious deliberations. Let’s evaluate this in the context of a few big agenda points to look out for at COP26:
Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) – The UNFCCC released the revised NDC synthesis report (FCCC/PA/CMA/2021/8/Rev.1) on 25 October 2021. With the current level of NDC’s, the UNFCCC predicts a global average temperature rise of about 2.7°C by the end of the century. While the science is precise, data is evident, and voices are unequivocal, where are we falling short? The balance of priorities between COVID, climate, and commitment needs to be clear, concise, and coherent.
Climate finance – Arguably, the most debated, anticipated, and pivotal topic for COP26 is climate finance. Debated because it has been on formal agenda points since the inception of UNFCCC. Anticipated because this has been increasingly spilling over on other discussion topics such as climate adaptation and mitigation. And pivotal because if the countries can move past the blame game, then climate finance can decisively stimulate our climate actions.
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement – While the Paris Agreement humbly and victoriously mobilized global and collective climate efforts, it left a critical job unfinished. Solving the complex mystery of Article 6 should be done soon because it has the potential to seep into other discussions such as carbon markets, global stocktake, climate adaptation, etc. Having read the article personally and participated in a mock discussion in class, I know that this will not be easy.
Lastly, as COP26 is round the corner, COVID-19 has brought a lot upon us to pause, perceive and ponder on the following questions:
– Are global boundaries diminishing, or are they becoming bolder in the guise of COVID-induced nationalism?
– Are quid-pro quo GHG emissions justified in the guise of kickstarting COVID-induced economic slowdowns?
– Will developed countries enhance climate financing or maintain the status quo in the guise of COVID-induced financial and healthcare burden?
And most importantly,
– Will our future climate actions leapfrog to save the planet, or will they kowtow to a tiny micro-organism feared across the planet?
While I promise to enter COP26 with an open mind, these thoughts will continue to linger with me subconsciously. Like the rest of the world, I, too, am dabbling between bouts of optimism, skepticism, and pessimism. Like the rest of the world, I, too, am going to COP26 in the quest for answers to these contemporary, uncanny, and transitory but burning questions.
