Earth Today | No downtime in race to climate readiness

THE MOST recent global climate talks may be over but work to bolster Caribbean readiness for the onslaught of rising seas, warmer temperatures and more extreme hurricanes associated with climate change must continue and intensify.

This is the advice from respected climate scientist, Professor Michael Taylor, who said while there were some gains from the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), held in Glasgow, Scotland, there is yet more to achieve.

“Some clear goals going into COP26 were: 1.5 still on the table; mechanisms or ‘rules’ for Paris Agreement; increased mitigation ambitions; increased funding and access to funding for adaptation; recognition of loss and damage. I think in each of these five areas, some gains were made even if not to the extent hoped for,” he noted.

“Going forward, the region (Caribbean) must push for agreements and pledges made to be honoured and in timely fashion; push for even more in all areas, that is, even beyond the achievements of COP26; and even greater advocacy by SIDS (small island developing states) now that there seems to be a greater global awareness of some of the issues and the inequities involved,” noted Taylor, a physicist and also dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at The University of the West Indies, Mona.

The COP26 achievements are reflected in the Glasgow Climate Pact and include the recognition by countries that “the impacts of climate change will be much lower at the temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with two degrees Celsius”, and a resolve “to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius”.

This recognition has been welcomed by some Caribbean stakeholders, given the science that shows that increase in global temperatures beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius could spell death for the region.

Taylor, for his part, has noted the necessity to realise net zero emissions by 2050, in order to keep a lid on the heat. Net zero is the point at which the amount of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by the amount that is removed.

Compromised target

“Even when we reach 1.5, our research says that we will have 40 per cent less hydro power in Suriname, diminished agricultural productivity in Jamaica, two to three times higher regional cost on damages from intense events, drying of four per cent across the region and inundation and loss of coastal infrastructure. 1.5 is compromised target,” he explained, addressing Jamaica’s national stakeholder engagement session, hosted ahead of COP26 in September.

Also reflected in the pact is an emphasis on “the urgency of scaling up action and support, including finance, capacity building and technology transfer, to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change in line with the best available science, taking into account the priorities and needs of developing country parties”.

It goes further to urge developed countries “to urgently and significantly scale up their provision of climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building for adaptation so as to respond to the needs of developing country parties as part of a global effort, including for the formulation and implementation of national adaptation plans”. This is while ‘recognising’ the importance of “the adequacy and predictability of adaptation finance, including the value of the adaptation fund in delivering dedicated support for adaptation”.

Also put on the table was the resolution to “strengthen partnerships between developing and developed countries, funds, technical agencies, civil society and communities to enhance understanding of how approaches to averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage can be improved”.

More action needed

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has himself noted the need for accelerated actions and a greater push towards progress in preparedness for climate change impacts – beyond what was achieved at COP26.

“The approved texts (for the climate pact) are a compromise. They reflect the interest, the conditions, the contradictions, and the state of political will in the world today. They take important steps but, unfortunately, the collective political will was not enough to overcome some deep contradictions,” he said in a publicised statement on the conclusion of the negotiations.

“As I said at the opening (of COP26), we must accelerate action to keep the 1.5-degree goal alive. Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread. We are still knocking at the door of climate catastrophe. It is time to go into emergency mode or our chance of reaching net zero will itself be zero. I reaffirm my conviction that we enforce improved subsidies, phase out coal, put a price on carbon, build resilience of vulnerable communities against the here and now impacts of climate change and make good on $100-billion climate finance commitment to support developing countries,” he added.

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