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UK launches series of workshops ahead of COP26

The findings which will be launched at COP26 will include recommendations on how climate risk assessments for Heads of Government can be improved…reports Asian Lite News.

As the UK prepares to host COP26 in Glasgow, the government on Monday launched a series of high-level workshops on Recognising Risk—Raising Climate Ambition – to boost the understanding of climate risks among governments around the world.

The programme builds on recent work published by Chatham House, and brings together best practice in communicating the full risks of climate change from scientists to policy makers and national governments.

The findings which will be launched at COP26 will include recommendations on how climate risk assessments for Heads of Government can be improved.

“A better understanding of the full scale of the risks which climate change poses to our way of life and national economies is essential to inform commitments to climate action at COP26 and beyond,” COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma said.

“This programme will bring together scientists, policy makers and civil society to improve the understanding and communication of these risks, as we work to make sure we keep the 1.5 degree goal alive,” he added.

While the scientific understanding of the risks of climate change is now more developed, the full range of climate risks including those affecting our economies, health, and food security is still often still not fully taken into account in national decision making.

As countries form plans ahead of COP26 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Nationally Determined Contributions), and build climate resilient futures (National Adaptation Plans), a full and up to date understanding of the greatest risks of climate change to their economies and way of life is essential.

Professor Carole Mundel, International Science Envoy, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office said: “The scientific evidence of human-driven climate change is clear. Our planet is our life support system and it is in danger. But, we have a brief chance now to take immediate action to cut emissions and keep warming below 1.5C. If we fail, we risk crossing dangerous tipping points and enter a world with severe fire, flood and famine.”

Tim Benton, Chatham House: The risks from climate change are underestimated by decision makers, given the multitude of ways events near, or far away, can impinge on our societies – through interrupting the flow of goods, or finance, or creating a flow of people, or undermining stability or governance. This report accessibly highlights these risks so everyone can appreciate their potential.

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READ MORE-‘Ball in China’s court on making COP26 a success’

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‘Ball in China’s court on making COP26 a success’

He also said that the bilateral trade agreement with Australia will have a “substantive clause” on both countries’ international climate commitments…reports Asian Lite News.

COP26 President Alok Sharma on Sunday said the ball is in China’s court when it comes to making the UN climate change conference in November a success.

Earlier this month, Sharma visited China and said he had “constructive and very frank discussions” during the trip. But Chinese President Xi Jinping has not yet confirmed whether he would attend the summit.

“In every conversation I had with the Chinese they were very clear that they want to see COP26 as a success so the ball is very much in their court,” Sharma told Sky News.

He also said that the bilateral trade agreement with Australia will have a “substantive clause” on both countries’ international climate commitments.

“When it comes to Australia, there is absolutely going to be a substantive clause in that deal which makes reference of the commitment of both countries to the Paris Agreement,” Sharma told Sky News.

Sharma said that the UK “has some of the strongest environmental measures in the world” which it will not compromise in its trade deal.

On September 8, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was accused by the UK branch of Greenpeace of lying to the public about climate commitments, claiming that the British government secretly agreed to remove binding temperature commitments in the Paris Agreement from the UK-Australian trade deal.

Sky News also claimed to have seen a leaked government email proving that British ministers agreed to bow to Australia’s pressure on ditching climate commitments.

On June 15, the UK secured a “historic” post-Brexit free trade deal with Australia that will scrap tariffs on products such as UK cars, Scotch whisky and confectionary and offer young people the opportunity to live and work in Australia.

The agreement also eliminates tariffs on Australian wines, meat, swimwear and confectionery, boosting choice for UK consumers and saving households up to 34 million pounds ($47.8 million) per year. (with inputs from ANI/Sputnik)

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India extends full support for annual climate meet

He also conveyed India’s position that COP26 should ensure a balanced outcome with equal treatment to agenda items such as adaptation, finance and technology transfer.”…reports Asian Lite News.

India on Wednesday extended full support to the UK for the annual climate change summit to be held at Glasgow in November this year, but reiterated its position that COP26 should ensure a balanced outcome with equal treatment to agenda items such as adaptation, finance and technology transfer.

Ahead of the annual climate summit COP26 or the Conference of Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held in Glasgow in November, its President-designate Alok Sharma from the UK was on a short India trip.

On the last day of his visit, Sharma met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav apart from speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) National Council Session. He also launched the GreenCellM, an e-bus.

Yadav and Sharma discussed issues relating to climate change, COP26, India-UK 2030 Roadmap, and other related matters.

“India believes that climate actions must be nationally determined and it strongly advocates that the differentiation and operationalisation of flexibility provided in the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement for developing countries should be at the core of decision-making,” emphasised Yadav, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on climate justice while fighting climate change.

Yadav also informed the UK delegation about the remarkable feat India has achieved in decoupling growth from emission intensity, demonstrating ambitious actions in renewable energy, energy efficiency and rise of green cover, an official said, adding, “He also conveyed India’s position that COP26 should ensure a balanced outcome with equal treatment to agenda items such as adaptation, finance and technology transfer.”

Sharma and his team were informed about the global initiatives spearheaded by India under Modi’s leadership for tackling climate change such as Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), Coalition on Coalition Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and International Solar Alliance (ISA), a government release said.

Reminding that India is among a few G20 countries on track towards UNFCCC and Paris Agreement goals and has taken decisive actions to tackle climate change, Sitharaman mentioned that India is taking concrete steps at appreciable speed to meet its commitments on the target of 450GW of renewable energy by 2030.

“Of these, 100 GW has already been achieved,” she said.

The Finance Minister also highlighted the extensive work done on the Hydrogen Energy Mission.

Sitharaman expressed hope that the commitment made by the developed countries to provide $100 billion per year to developing countries would be achieved, and sounded optimistic about a positive outcome on the new collective goals on finance in COP26.

A release from the British High Commission quoted Sharma as saying: “I leave India hopeful. I’ve had a set of very constructive discussions with ministers here and I am incredibly encouraged by the visionary speech Prime Minister Modi made on Independence Day, in particular the reference to renewables and green hydrogen.”

Claiming that countries need to be more ambitious in emission reduction targets and in accelerating the transition from coal to clean energy, Sharma said, “I’ve requested that the Indian government considers whether as part of any revised NDC, that overachievement is taken into account as well as a really ambitious plan for pushing forward on all of this.”

“When the UK took on the COP26 Presidency, less than 30 per cent of the global economy was covered by a net zero target — we’re now at 70 per cent,” he said.

COP26 is a crucial meeting in view of the Paris Agreement that India has signed along with scores of other nations.

The Paris Agreement is a global effort to cut emissions to restrict the temperature rise to 2-degree Celsius and if possible, to keep it at 1.5-degree Celsius, as compared to the pre-industrial era.

A recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report has already warned of dire consequences in terms of increasing heat waves, erratic precipitation and sea level rise among other extremities for India and other nations.

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COP26 President-designate to meet Environment Minister Yadav

Business Secretary Alok Sharma holds a Covid-19 Press Conference with NHS Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis, in 10 Downing Street. Picture by Pippa Fowles / No 10 Downing Street.

According to a PIB release, when Sharma raised the topic of phasing out coal fired power plants, Singh told him, “India has already retired 16,369 MW of inefficient thermal units till March 2021.”…reports Asian Lite News.

After a packed schedule of meetings, including those with two of India’s Union Ministers and a host of civil society groups, COP26 President-designate Alok Sharma is set to meet Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday.

Going by the experience at Italy’s G20 ministerial earlier, the UK, host to the Conference of Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is insisting on G20 countries to sign up to net zero. In this context, the Article 6 of the Paris Agreement becomes crucial negotiation point.

Sharma met Union Minister for Power & New and Renewable Energy RK Singh, Commerce, and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, PK Mishra, and discussed a range of issues including UK-India collaborations on renewables, global energy transition and NDCs, the Nationally Determined Contributions that each nation has promised as part of the Paris Agreement to restrict temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-Industrial era.

With fewer than 100 days to go until the landmark UN climate change summit in Glasgow, UK, Sharma’s in-person visit “represents the UK’s commitment to raise global ambition on climate action for a balanced and inclusive outcome at COP26,” a statement from the British High Commission had said on Monday.

According to a PIB release, when Sharma raised the topic of phasing out coal fired power plants, Singh told him, “India has already retired 16,369 MW of inefficient thermal units till March 2021.”

Singh expressed India’s interest in collaborating with the UK on offshore wind and also stressed on the need of the developed and developing countries to work together for bringing down the cost of storage, the release said, adding, he informed the UK delegation that India is the only G20 country whose actions are in accordance with the NDCs set by them under the Paris Agreement.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the need of increasing storage capacity in view of India’s ambitious target of having 450 GW of installed Renewable capacity by 2030. “The UK side was invited to participate in the upcoming bids for Green Hydrogen and lithium-ion,” the release said.

Sharma held a series of meetings with civil society representatives and also businesses.

The UK has called on all G20 countries to sign up to net zero, set out clear plans to cut emissions by 2030, and commit to ending coal power, transitioning to electric vehicles, and restoring nature, with the richest nations providing financial support to the rest of the planet.

This is Sharma’s second visit to India in 2021. At the start of this visit, the COP26 President-designate had said: “India has a vital role to play as the world comes together in Glasgow to demonstrate renewed action under the Paris Agreement. India’s leadership – including through the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure – is hugely important as we look to build global resilience ahead of COP26 and beyond. All countries – including the UK and India – have a historic opportunity to build back greener from the Covid pandemic. Providing climate resilient jobs that also promote economic growth will lead to a green industrial revolution that also makes financial sense.”

On Wednesday morning, Sharma is set to meet Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who is currently touring various constituencies as part of the Jan Ashirwad Yatra. “This would be a closed-door meeting,” said an official from the Ministry and refused to speak further.

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UK all set to host COP26 summit in November

The COP26 President Alok Sharma said: “The COP26 summit in Glasgow is our best hope of safeguarding the planet for everyone, building a brighter future and keeping the 1.5C target alive.”…reports Asian Lite News.

World leaders will meet at the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on November 1-2, according to the conference’s programme released by the UK government on Wednesday.

“Beginning with the World Leaders Summit on 1 and 2 November, each day will focus on a different theme, from advancing progress on key priorities like clean energy, zero-emission transport and protecting nature, to ensuring the participation of women, girls and young people is at the centre of climate action,” the government said in a statement.

The United Kingdom’s Presidency Programme for COP26 has unveiled today to drive forward climate ambition and action against key issues alongside two weeks of intensive climate negotiations in Glasgow.

Cross-cutting themes like science, innovation and inclusivity will run throughout the programme, as will the need to mitigate climate change, adapt to its impacts, and mobilise public and private finance.

The Presidency programme will run alongside the formal negotiations, which sit at the heart of the UN summit and will focus on closing off the outstanding aspects of the Paris Agreement, the statement read further.

The COP26 President Alok Sharma said: “The COP26 summit in Glasgow is our best hope of safeguarding the planet for everyone, building a brighter future and keeping the 1.5C target alive.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92dsohLInDk

“I have been pleased to see progress and momentum on the four key goals I have been taking to governments across the world and the presidency programme will continue this throughout the two weeks of the summit. From finance to energy and gender to adaptation these are vital issues that need to be addressed to make COP26 inclusive and successful,” he said.

Countries who are part of the UNFCCC are entitled to attend a COP and will decide what level of representation. (ANI)

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