November has been a busy month for world leaders and the challenges posed by the thread of Climate Change. World Leaders gathered at the COP26 summit to accelerate action towards goals in tackling Climate Change. Taking place in Glasgow on 31st October – 12th November, the following declarations have been key outputs from this event.

Declaration on Forests and Land Use Pledge

A total of 141 countries identified the critical roles forests hold to achieve the balance of removal of greenhouse gas emission through carbon sinks. Through shared efforts, world leaders commit to:

• Conserving forests and other terrestrial ecosystems, by accelerate restoration of such habitats.
• Promote sustainable development, through consumption that do not drive deforestation and land degradation.
• Empowering communities, by building resilience and enhancing rural communities.
• Review, Implement and redesign agricultural policies.
• Increase finance and investment from a wide range of public and private sources.
• Align financial flows with international goals to reverse forest loss and degradation.

Declaration of reduction in Global Methane

Over 100 countries, including United States and European Union launched the incentive and expanded financial and technical support to reduce global methane emissions to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. This includes committing to reducing methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. Achieving this goal would assist positive effects, identified as preventing over 200,000 premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma related emergency room visits and millions of tons of crops lost.

Global coal to clean power transition

This declaration is to phase down coal power and transition to clean energy, with 46 countries agreeing to this pledge. This includes ending finance to coal and international public support to the fossil fuel energy sector.  Developed national have agreed to support to developing countries to make the transition over to clean energy.

Declaration on accelerating transition to 100% Zero emission transport

Influence the future of automotive industry and road transport, by committing to transition to zero emission vehicles. World leaders are committed towards sales of new vehicles by zero emissions by 2040 or earlier. This includes creating zero emissions vehicles the new norm, by making them more accessible, affordable, and sustainable.

Declaration for green shipping corridors

This declaration supports the establishment of green shipping corridors. By creating zero emission routes between at least 6 green corridors by the middle of this decade, this will be achieved by scaling up activity to support more green corridor routes. Through the facilitation of partnership between ports and operators to support the decarbonisation of the shipping sector.

 

These pledges could nudge the world 9% closer to the 1.5C pathway and combatting the impacts of Climate Change. If you are interested in what the Cambridgeshire County Council will be doing to assist with the COP26 declaration, more information can be found here.

 

 

Credit: Special guest writer Gabriella Yeomans, Project Officer – Future Parks Accelerator has been following the recent COP26 summit