COP26 EXPLAINED

1 COP26 . EXPLAINED . Securing a brighter future for our children and future generations requires countries to take urgent action at home and abroad to turn the tide on climate change. It is with ambition, courage and collaboration as we approach the crucial COP26 summit in the UK that we can seize this moment together, so we can recover cleaner, rebuild greener and restore our planet.. PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. BORIS JOHNSON. by 2024 and will end the sale of new who are already seeing their homes petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. We disappear under water and their crops are introducing legally binding targets decimated by drought - COP26 simply to restore nature and radical reforms can't be another talking shop. In 2009, to agricultural subsidies. The Prime rich countries promised they would Minister has set out a Ten Point Plan for work towards raising $100bn each a green industrial revolution to help us year by 2020 to help these countries reach our climate commitments whilst tackle climate change.

2 Donors need creating thousands of highly skilled jobs to demonstrate that the target will be and already, many more Brits earn their met and surpassed. As COP President living from clean green jobs. Designate, I am determined that we will. Around the world we are also seeing There is no viable pathway to net progress. Together with the United zero emissions that does not involve Nations, Italy, France and Chile we protecting and restoring nature on an hosted the Climate Ambition Summit unprecedented scale. If we are serious which brought together 75 leaders from about holding temperature rises to around the world. It was a major stride degrees and adapting to the impacts forward, with new commitments on of climate change, we must change climate announced by every leader who the way we look after our land and seas joined. It's an important indicator that and how we grow our food. This is also FOREWORD. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought The journey is already underway.

3 Despite the pandemic, the direction of travel is changing. Around 70% of the world economy is now covered by net zero we are all serious about getting carbon emissions down now. Even so, we're going to need much more. We cannot wake up in 2029 and decide to slash important if we want to protect and restore the world's biodiversity, upon which all life depends. targets, up from less than 30% when the our emissions by 50% by 2030. That's At COP26 , we will work with partners devastation to millions around the UK took on the Presidency of COP26 . why the next six months will see the to take forward action on protecting world, disrupting many parts of The world is moving towards a low- UK push others not to flinch from the and restoring forests and critical the global economy. Governments, carbon future. Clean energy, like wind big policy decisions: ending coal power, ecosystems, and we will champion the including our own, have stepped up and solar, is now the cheapest source phasing out polluting vehicles, making transition towards sustainable, resilient to protect lives and livelihoods.

4 But of electricity in most countries; many agriculture more sustainable, tackling and nature positive agriculture. climate change has continued, and it of the world's car makers are shifting to deforestation and supporting developing ultimately threatens life on earth. make only electric and hybrid models; countries with finance. COP26 needs to be decisive. Whether countries around the world are starting future generations look back at this time important work to protect and restore Unfortunately reducing emissions is not with admiration or despair, depends As countries begin to recover from the nature; cities, states and regions across enough. For many nations, the picture entirely on our ability to seize this Coronavirus pandemic, we must take the world are also committing to reduce is far bleaker. I was born in India and for moment. Let's seize it together. the historic opportunity to tackle climate emissions to zero. a time I served as the UK government's change at the same time to build back better, and greener.

5 We can deliver minister responsible for international Our country, the UK, is leading the aid I have real sympathy with less green recoveries across the globe that way over the last 30 years British developed countries that feel it's for the bring in good jobs, trillions in investment governments have grown our economy developed industrial nations to help sort and ground-breaking new technology. by 78% while cutting emissions by 44%. out a problem largely of their making. And we must. To keep the temperature That shows green growth is real. In 2012, Indeed, one of the reasons we are of the planet under control limiting its 40% of our electricity came from coal. determined to hold COP26 in person is increase to degrees - the science That figure is now less than 2%. That to ensure the voices of these countries dictates that by the second half of shows that change is possible. The UK. the century, we should be producing less carbon than we take out of the was the first country to pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 78% by 2035, we are heard and acted on.

6 ALOK SHARMA. atmosphere. This is what reaching net zero' means. will completely phase out coal power For those countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change - COP PRESIDENT-DESIGNATE. 6 COP26 EXPLAINED FO R EWO R D 7. INTRODUCTION. To understand why, it's necessary to look back to another COP. COP21 took place in Paris in 2015. For the first time ever, something momentous happened: every CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE GREATEST country agreed to work together to limit RISK FACING US ALL. global warming to well below 2 degrees and aim for degrees, to adapt to the impacts Around the world storms, floods and of a changing climate and to make money available to deliver on these aims. The Paris wildfires are intensifying. Air pollution Agreement was born. The commitment to sadly affects the health of tens of aim for degrees is important because millions of people and unpredictable every fraction of a degree of warming weather causes untold damage to results in the tragedy of many more lives homes and livelihoods too.

7 But while lost and livelihoods damaged. the impacts of climate change are devastating, advances in tackling it are Under the Paris Agreement, countries leading to cleaner air, creating good committed to bring forward national plans jobs, restoring nature and at the same setting out how much they would reduce time unleashing economic growth. their emissions - known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs'. They Despite the opportunities we are not acting agreed that every five years they would fast enough. To avert this crisis, countries come back with an updated plan that would need to join forces urgently. reflect their highest possible ambition at that time. In November, the UK, together with our partner Italy, will host an event many The run up to this year's summit in Glasgow believe to be the world's last best chance to is the moment (delayed by a year due to get runaway climate change under control. the pandemic) when countries update For nearly three decades the UN has been their plans for reducing emissions.

8 But, bringing together almost every country on the commitments laid out in Paris did not earth for global climate summits - called come close to limiting global warming to COPs - which stands for Conference of the degrees, and the window for achieving Parties'. 'In that time climate change has this is closing. The decade out to 2030 will gone from being a fringe issue to a global be crucial. So as momentous as Paris was, priority. This year will be the 26th annual countries must go much further to keep summit giving it the name COP26 . With the hope of holding temperature rises to the UK as President, COP26 takes place in degrees alive. Glasgow. International climate summits are complex. In the run up to COP26 the UK is working Here in the UK COP26 team we want to with every nation to reach agreement on make it as easy as possible for you to how to tackle climate change. More than understand what COP26 is and what the 190 world leaders are expected to arrive in UK team is working to achieve.

9 In this Scotland. Together with tens of thousands introduction you'll find the summary of our of negotiators, government representatives, goals; explanations of the processes, a businesses and citizens for twelve days of glossary for technical phrases and perhaps talks. Not only is it a huge task but it is also most importantly, ways for you to get not just yet another international summit. involved. Most experts believe COP26 has a particular urgency. 8 COP26 EXPLAINED IN T RO DUCT IO N 9. THE UK'S. We are planting trees on 30,000. hectares of land per year by 2025. LEADERSHIP. We have announced plans that put farmers at the forefront of reversing environmental decline and tackling ON CLIMATE. climate change We will make climate-related disclosures mandatory across the economy by 2025, with most requirements coming The UK has a lot to be proud of when it in by 2023. comes to acting on climate change. We The low carbon sector and supply chain have shown that climate action can go provides over 460,000 jobs in the UK.

10 Hand-in-hand with economic growth. Our ambition is for up to 2 million green Between 1990 and 2019, we achieved jobs by 2030. record clean growth. In that time, our economy grew by 78% and our As the world looks to recover from the impact emissions decreased by 44% over this of coronavirus on our lives, livelihoods and time, the fastest decline in the G7. economies, we have the chance to build back better. Our Ten Point Plan will help deliver a We have decarbonised our economy green industrial revolution - by investing in faster than any other country in the G20 clean energy, transport, nature and innovative since 2000 technologies - creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process. We were the first major economy to put into law that we will reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 Leading the world in tackling and adapting to climate change is a major economic We are the largest producer of offshore opportunity for the UK, that will create new wind energy in the world skilled jobs across the country as well as export opportunities for our firms.