We are now in the middle of COP26 (the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties), where national representatives negotiate their countries’ carbon emissions and make pledges intended to lessen the impact of climate change.
Yet, countries continue to fall short of their promises, and - as with the United States - sometimes renege and then return to the table. Developed countries are responsible for depositing over half of all carbon emissions into the atmosphere, and thus have the greatest ability to stave off this literal existential crisis. But, they are the least willing to make dramatic commitments that might compromise their economies and have already failed to deliver on $100 billion by 2020 (and $100 billion annually thereafter) to help developing countries mitigate climate change effects.
So, it is understandable that deals made in Glasgow, Scotland this past week to end deforestation and reduce methane emissions by 2030 are both groundbreaking and cause for reticence.
Over a decade ago, at COP15 in Copenhagen, Marlene Moses, the representative from Nauru pointed out that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) could potentially disappear if warming-driven sea level rise goes unchecked. Now, 12 years later, COP26 is the best-attended COP meeting but with those most affected by climate change - like SIDS - disproportionately excluded from the event. In fact, the only UN Global Ambassador from a SIDS country at this year’s cop is Racquel Moses, CEO of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator.
Echoing sentiments that the recent agreements alone are insufficient, Moses says, “It has been great to see a sense of urgency from both the private and public sector on a range of issues ... Reaching agreements on more ambitious targets and goals in Glasgow is one thing - enforcement and results are another.”
Indeed, COP meetings tend to focus on ambitious goals, but not necessarily the mechanisms or political will needed to meet them. Moses suggests that the private sector certainly has a role to play in this process, but that not enough attention has been given to the fact that despite the landmark Paris Agreement, global fossil fuel emissions continue to rise.
“How are countries that are making pledges to reduce emissions still investing in new emissions producing infrastructure?” asks Moses “I don’t think we’re looking at what hasn’t been working and therefore needs to change versus doing more of the same things.”
Naturally, everyone is hungry for a resolution as the window dwindles for us to prevent catastrophic climate change. Some Caribbean nations are considering suing polluting countries. Moses believes that, in addition to increased funds for climate adaptation, improved metrics could help in establishing climate threats. One such system is the Caribbean Development Bank’s universal vulnerability and resilience index, which considers the socio-economic and environmental conditions across the Caribbean.
According to Moses, who is part of an adjacent effort, “[The Islands Resilience Task Force is] piloting a Resilience Scorecard to identify the specific areas of need from islands to attract investment and philanthropy to grow resilience. These are innovative measures that can be adapted to other regions of the world as well to better implement climate finance.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/priyashukla/2021/11/06/climate-pledges-at-cop26-could-do-more-to-address-sea-level-rise-threatening-island-nations/?sh=6e86cd114954
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