Thursday, February 27, 2025

Glasgow Accord: Weak, say environmentalists

Insufficient Glasgow Agreement

Although COP26 was due to end on Friday 13 November, the summit published a new draft of the Glasgow agreement on Saturday, but it has been described as insufficient, as the proposed measures may not be able to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C in accordance with the 2015 Paris agreement.

The first two drafts were not well received by environmentalists, who stressed that countries' greatest efforts should be directed toward eliminating fossil fuels and ending offsets used by large energy companies. 

“…Offsets stifle ambition and give polluters a way to avoid genuine, substantial and timely emissions reductions. It’s like saying you’re going on a diet, but you keep eating cake while paying someone else to eat lettuce,” said Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director of Greenpeace International.

This third installment has been slightly better received by environmentalists, who have described it as “weak” but point out that it is essential for the transition to clean energy. 

Another of the most important points discussed in England is the subsidy by developed countries to the poorest ones. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of England, called on rich countries to contribute more money to move developing countries away from the use of fossil fuels. 

It is worth noting that in the 2009 agreement, developed nations committed to something similar, and proposed $100 billion dollars annually by 2020. This commitment was not fulfilled and now appears insufficient. 

China and the US pledge to take action on climate change

One of the most surprising alliances that this summit has produced is that between the United States and China, two of the biggest polluters, which announced a pact to take action to curb the effects of global warming. 

 The president of the Asian nation declared last Thursday the great need to work together since the sum of both nations represents 40 percent of global carbon emissions. 

In the document, both countries commit to reducing methane emissions and to holding regular meetings to address the most pressing issues of the environmental crisis. The United States plans to be carbon neutral by 2050, while China aims for a net-zero goal by 2060. 

Despite China's promises, it should be noted that it refused to sign the document in which more than 100 nations commit to reducing methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030. 

You may be interested in: Climate crisis poses existential threat, but there is a silver lining: Biden

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