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UN climate agency publishes first draft of final COP26 summit deal
The standard reported that the UN climate agency has published a first draft of the political decision countries will issue at the end of the COP26 summit.
It said that negotiators from nearly 200 countries will now work from the draft to strike a final deal before the summit comes to a close on Friday.
The “COP cover decision” is being closely watched for what it might commit countries to do to bridge the gap between their current climate targets and the more ambitious action scientists say is needed to avert disastrous levels of warming.
It comes as several transport aims have been drawn up, including that new heavy goods vehicles sold in the UK will need to be zero emissions by 2040.
Thirty countries have also agreed to work together to make zero emissions vehicles the new normal, and plans for “green shipping corridors” will be unveiled – facilitating a shift to zero emissions vessels.
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And 14 states, collectively making up for more than 40 per cent of global aviation emissions, have put their names to a commitment to a new decarbonisation target.
The Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has warned that climate change is a far bigger and potentially deadlier problem than coronavirus.
Speaking from the UN climate summit in Glasgow, Sir Patrick Vallance said whereas Covid-19 is a two to four year problem, the other is a 50 to 100 year one, and more people would die from climate change than coronavirus, if we fail to act.
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He said that as with the pandemic combatting global warming will require a combination of technology and behavioral change.
He told the BBC: “The reason I say it is a bigger problem is because in terms of the overall effect on humanity, if this is not stopped it is a bigger, bigger challenge to the way we live and lives will be lost.
“If the green choice becomes the easy one, more people will be willing to change their behaviour.”
Source: standard
