“Let me emphasise as strongly as I can: job not done. The first part of the job of codifying the urgency will hopefully be done. But that’s just the beginning. This is a decade-long race,” he said. “We do know that we could have a critical mass of countries moving in a way that keeps [1.5 degrees] alive. This was never going to be done in one week.”
The US special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry, attends a press conference at Cop26. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
That’s it from me today – a quiet morning, but good to put some focus on the ocean. And it gave us the chance to catch up with the iceberg haulers, tree-people and climate rappers (?) who are in their own way every bit as important to the burgeoning climate movement as the suits on the stages.
I’ll hand over to my colleague Oliver Holmes now and, in what seems to be the spirit of the day so far, leave you with a final song:
We've heard enough "parole, parole, parole" now it is time for action. This is the message we brought right to #COP26 this morning.
Thousands of activists have gathered in Glasgow, including a few not dressed as trees. We asked them why they’ve come – and here are their remarkable replies.
'We're in this together': why I'm protesting at Cop26 – video
Last night, I interviewed the president of Costa Rica after his keynote speech at the Ashden Awards at Cop26 in Glasgow. Although the Central American country is small, it is a superpower on the environment. Costa Rica is the only country to have halted and reversed tropical deforestation, it has a target to become a zero-carbon country by 2050, and “Ticos” such as Christiana Figueres and Carlos Manuel Rodriguez play a key role at the UN.
Earlier this week, the president, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, also signed up to the creation of a new “mega-MPA” – a marine protected area including the waters of Panama, Colombia and Ecuador.
Cocos Island, part of a vast new marine reserve off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Photograph: AFP/Getty
“Ninety-two percent of our territory is ocean,” he said. “The new MPA is going to serve many purposes: protect biodiversity – not just any biodiversity. We’re talking about the Cocos Islands, one of the richest ecosystems in the world. This area is important for the reproduction of many species like tuna fish. This will guarantee the provision of tuna fish for many generations.”
On Costa Rica’s zero-carbon pledge, he said: “We are standing on decisions made in the past that allow us to go there. It’s our responsibility. We received an impressive legacy. It will be terrible not to take it to the next level.”
He also spoke of a certain previous US president’s efforts to derail the climate effort:
A while ago, I remember when Christiana Figueres and myself were discussing the situation before the Biden administration. We concluded that if we are on a highway of electric vehicles and everybody needs to reach a goal together, and if a big truck stops and turns on the parking lights and it’s not moving forward, what is it that you’re going to do?
If everybody, just like in a car crash, stops and stares, you’re going to slow down. On the other hand, it doesn’t matter if you are larger or smaller: as you go further, you reach the goals you demonstrate that are possible together.”
Reality check: Emissions set to rise 13.7% by 2030, says UN
Damian Carrington
Global carbon emissions are on track to rise by 13.7% by 2030, according to an updated UN analysis. That is a stark contrast to the 50% cut that is needed by then to retain the possibility of keeping global temperature rise to 1.5C and avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
The glimmer of good news is that the projected rise in 2030 emissions is down from 16% two weeks ago, after 14 new national pledges were included.
The assessment is a reality check after upbeat assessments of new commitments from countries to get to net zero emissions in the coming decades, particularly India’s. Analysis of these by several groups including the International Energy Agency indicate that global temperature rise would be limited to 1.8C or 1.9C over the course of the century.
That, of course, depends on the net zero commitments being fully funded and implemented, with action starting now. The gloomy UN assessment of the 2030 situation shows how far there is to go to bridge the gap between today’s policies and action and the long-term ambitions.
Another reality check came yesterday, when scientists warned that in 2021 global carbon emissions are shooting back to the record level seen before the coronavirus pandemic.
Greenland’s tourism agency has hailed the country’s decision to sign the Paris agreement as being of “immense” symbolic and practical significance, since the island “literally sits on the frozen crux of the great climate change issue.”
The island’s autonomous government, Naalakkersuisut, has already decided to ban oil and gas exploration in its waters – the first Arctic nation to do so, Visit Greenland said. Other Arctic nations, including Norway and Russia, and oil companies, are pursuing untapped oil reserves in the region – policies that critics say significantly increase environmental threats and political tensions.
The impacts of climate heating on sea ice patterns has already influenced traditional hunting around Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, increasing the value of tourism to its economy and the need for a green transition, it said.
“As Greenland is at the forefront of climate change, with a three-fold temperature rise compared to the global average, the impacts this has cannot be overlooked. Sustainability is not another buzzword in Greenland and climate change is not something that will be gone overnight. On the contrary, the cost is too high if Greenland does not actively take decisions on this matter.”
Nicola Sturgeon, who (somewhat remarkably) does not have an official seat at the huge climate conference being thrown in her backyard, has chosen Ocean Day to wade into the climate waters.
“It is important that we give the ocean particular prominence during this climate change summit,” Scotland’s first minister said in a video address. “The climate and biodiversity crises that the world faces are, of course, intertwined. That is especially true for our ocean. Blue carbon – the carbon stored in ocean habitats – will become an increasingly important part of everyone’s work to address this crisis.”
On #COP26 Ocean Day FM @nicolasturgeon sets out the importance of protecting our seas and oceans in responding to the climate crisis. Scotland’s leading research into how the ocean stores carbon will feature at the international Blue Carbon Conference ➡️ https://t.co/3m1yQsjYcDpic.twitter.com/rqz0E52Ieh
Sturgeon noted that 37% of Scotland’s seas are designated as marine protected areas (MPAs) – though, as Guardian Seascape has found, bottom trawling still happens in 97% of all MPAs across the UK. Sturgeon did at least nod to that, by noting that by 2026 10% will be highly protected areas, where no trawling is allowed.
As for blue carbon, read our (I think fascinating) expose here:
A delegation of mothers representing almost 500 parent groups from 44 countries have delivered a letter to Cop26 President Alok Sharma today, calling for the end of new fossil fuel financing for the sake of their children’s health and their futures.
A delegation of mothers at Cop26, led by Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah
The delegation was led by the UK’s Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lost her nine-year-old daughter Ella to severe asthma linked to air pollution. She was joined by mothers from India, Brazil, South Africa, Poland and Nigeria.
“Lots of words and no action – and toxic pollution on our streets – is fuelling a public health crisis that is making our kids sick and threatening their futures,” said Kissi-Debrah. “We need urgent action now.”
A full report by my colleague Patrick Greenfield is on its way.
The US climate envoy John Kerry has said the $100bn promised by rich nations to poor nations can now be delivered in 2022, a year earlier than previously thought. That is still two years late, though.
The delivery of the money to fund emission cuts in developing countries is a critical test of Cop26. Rich and poor nations must work together to tackle the climate emergency, but trust between them will not exist without the $100bn.
Kerry told a CBI dinner yesterday evening that Japan’s promise to pay $2bn a year would unlock another $8bn a year of private sector money. An OECD report on 25 October said developing countries would have access to $97bn in public and private funds in 2022 and $106bn in 2023.
“That means for 2022 we now have the full $100bn we wanted to have, and $100bn going forward, so we take that issue off the table and that changes the dynamics,” he said.
