This article is written by Tony Sudworth, Sustainability Lead for DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) Digital.

  • The problem: The promises of COP26 need to become deliverable plans at COP27.
  • Why it matters: Without agreement, our chances of holding the average global. warming to 1.5 degrees will be gone (with all the impacts to everyone that entails)
  • The solution: Get the agreement to implement the required reduction in carbon emissions in a fair and equitable way.

The most important thing for COP27 is that we move from pledging net zero carbon emissions, to showing firm delivery plans to implement the COP26 promises.

I was at COP26 in November 2021 in Glasgow. It was a time of great hopes and great fears, partly because the first COP was held in Berlin in 1994 so we’ve been working on a climate change agreement for some time now. COP26 was billed as the last chance saloon for the world to agree on climate change and emission reductions to limit global warming to 1.5C, and so limit the damage to people, the planet and the environment.

As it was in Glasgow, and I could attend the Green Zone to see some potential solutions from industry, I wanted to go. I also wanted to take part in the march that took place through Glasgow on 6 November to show the depth of feeling on this whole issue. It was hugely satisfying to be part of that (even though it rained for six hours) and for the leaders to see people from around the world demanding action, not words.

Talking to people from Kenya and other developing nations whilst on the march, they said that “while you’re talking about sustainability, we’re talking about survival” and at the very least at the end of COP26 the world agreed to make concrete plans to limit global heating to 1.5C.

Countries left the talks with targets that would imply heating of about 1.9C–a “historic” achievement compared to the 6C of heating we were heading towards a decade ago, still far off 1.5C, but I saw it as progress. The fact is that current (pre COP27) commitments suggest we will get a global temperature rise of 2.5C, which could be catastrophic for the planet as whole. We’re already seeing more extreme weather at just 1.2C of warming.

However, the world has changed so much in the last year, not only has there been an effort to slowly recover from the pandemic, but the war in Ukraine has created chaos in the energy markets, sent food prices soaring, and threatened shortages, leading to inflation.

So for me the most important thing for COP27 is that we move from pledging net zero carbon emissions, to showing firm delivery plans to implement the COP26 promises.

Why? Because if we are going to hold overall global warming to 1.5C, the window for action is closing and we need everyone to make changes to save the planet, even if those actions are imperfect.

I’m afraid that instead of focusing on implementation of carbon reduction plans from COP26, more immediate concerns will take precedence. And yet in the long-term, I think climate change will impact us all because of its potential impact on all economies.

The Bank of England has published a recent review that shows if we do not hit “net zero” then you and I will feel an impact in our lives, our jobs, our homes, our families and our lifestyles. This will also spill over into our work by reducing budgets, and causing health issues that can stop people working, and increase the demand for skills to move to a green economy

Climate change can affect everything around us. Increasing energy prices, accompanied by high food prices all threaten social stability, and this year has already seen record heatwaves in India and Pakistan that have caused disruption and damage to crops, and affected people’s health.

So I think the main areas for COP27 need to be:

  1. Mitigation – reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions
  2. Adaptation – change processes and structures in society to respond to climate change
  3. Climate finance – making private and public sector finance available to help countries adapt to the effects of climate change
  4. Collaboration so that countries really work together
  5. Potentially remove fossil fuel subsidies, and incentivise the use of renewable energy
  6. More effective carbon markets to help reduce emissions by enabling trading of emissions
  7. Loss and damage funding to countries already affected by existing emissions and provide them with the means to adapt and survive.

In Sharm El-Sheikh, I hope we see progress on the commitments made in Glasgow. This is about our very survival, and the future of our children, and grandchildren.

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(Image Credit: Unsplash)