麻豆传媒

Boris Johnson has warned that failure to reach an ambitious agreement at the COP26 summit would be an 鈥渁bsolute disaster for the planet鈥�.

The UK prime minister was speaking in Glasgow just hours after 196 countries took a first step to promising new climate change plans next year to avoid dangerous levels of global warming.

The climate talks are still officially slated to end on Friday, but Johnson said he didn鈥檛 see why they shouldn鈥檛 go in to 鈥渆xtra time鈥� if needed. COP26 saw a key moment today, with the publication of a of the summit鈥檚 final statement. It 鈥渦rges鈥� countries to 鈥渞evisit and strengthen鈥� their 2030 climate plans by the end of 2022 to meet the world鈥檚 targets of holding global warming to 1.5^oC and well below 2^oC.

Johnson told reporters that the final stage of negotiations was proving hard and it was crucial that governments show 鈥渉igh ambition鈥� for the summit鈥檚 outcome. 鈥淲e are now finding things are tough. But that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 impossible. It doesn鈥檛 mean we can鈥檛 keep 1.5掳C alive,鈥� he said.

Countries also agreed in the draft to accelerate the phasing out of coal and of fossil fuel subsidies. If the reference isn鈥檛 cut during negotiations this week, it will be the first time in history that the outcome of a UN climate summit or international climate treaty has explicitly mentioned fossil fuels, the main driver of global warming.

Despite progress at Glasgow, including聽a new 2030 pledge from India,听an analysis found yesterday聽that the world is still on course for 2.4^oC of warming by the end of this century, well off the 2015 Paris Agreement鈥檚 temperature goals of 1.5^oC and 2^oC.

The cover decision this morning acknowledges that gap. The document 鈥渞ecalls鈥� an article of the Paris Agreement that allows countries to deliver a better 2030 climate plan at any time, and 鈥渦rges鈥� countries to 鈥渞evisit and strengthen鈥� those plans by the end of 2022 to 鈥渁lign鈥� with the temperature goals.

In a surprise move, the text also 鈥渃alls upon parties to accelerate the phasing-out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels鈥�. Although the language is woolly, even its inclusion in the text marks a major step for UN climate negotiations. However, it is expected to be unlikely to remain in its current form by the end of the summit, and may be cut entirely.

Another key element of the draft is a commitment by higher-income countries to double the finance they give to lower-income countries for adapting to a warming world.

Reaction to the draft has been mixed. at the European Commission welcomed it and hailed the 鈥渢he clear intention to close the gap to 1.5^oC within a year鈥�. at the US non-profit World Resources Institute (WRI) says if the references to coal and fossil fuel subsidies stay, that would be significant despite the lack of a clear deadline.

However, a group of 77 lower-income countries and China said it was 鈥渆xtremely concerned鈥� about progress on climate financing for lower-income countries. , also at WRI, says countries would like to see 鈥渕ore decisive language鈥� on new climate plans, instead of the current language that simply 鈥渦rges鈥� countries to provide them. , ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda, echoed that point when speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States in a statement: 鈥溾�橴rging鈥�, 鈥榗alling鈥�, 鈥榚ncouraging鈥� and 鈥榠nviting鈥� is not the decisive language that this moment calls for.鈥�

Asked by 麻豆传媒 if the summit could credibly claim to have kept the 1.5^oC target within reach if the language on new climate plans isn鈥檛 strengthened, COP26 president Alok Sharma said: 鈥淥ur ambition remains undiminished.鈥� He added: 鈥淲e are starting discussions on the first draft of the cover text. Let鈥檚 see what comes out of that. I am very unapologetic in that what we are looking for is an ambitious outcome.鈥�

What happens next will depend on how governments respond to the draft, with a progress review scheduled for this evening. COP26 president Alok Sharma hopes for 鈥渘ear-final鈥� versions of the summit鈥檚 final statement overnight. The current version is far from set in stone, and may be weakened or strengthened in coming days.

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