COP26 Begins In Glasgow Today: Here's What It Means In Fight Against Climate Change

The Conference of the Parties (COP26) is beginning in Glasgow today with an expected presence of heads of state from around 195 countries.

Like many other events, the coronavirus pandemic even disrupted COP26 last year, which is a two-week exercise held on an annual basis. The year 2020 was set to be a pivotal year in the COP calendar, as most of the world's major economies were expected to assess their progress toward voluntary objectives to minimise greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, due to the disruptions, these conversations were rescheduled for Glasgow.

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Prior to the Glasgow summit, important preparatory conferences and bilateral discussions were held to urge governments to increase their carbon reduction goals from the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.

There have been some achievements, though. But many high-emitter countries, such as China and India, have yet to agree to a 2050 deadline that would force governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to near zero by mid-century (2050) in order to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of 2100. And, in order to do this, emissions would have to be reduced by at least 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030.

India's stance

"India will emphasise climate justice and exhort developed countries to transfer the finance and technology necessary to deal with the fallout of global warming," Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stated in a recent interview with The Hindu.

Yadav also mentioned in a tweet that the world had publicly recognised India's commitment to install 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030 as "ambitious." The Minister tweeted that India's actions, which were in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement's aim, would be raised at the conference.

In addition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on August 15 that India had installed 100 gigawatts of renewable energy. And he went on to say that India is the only G20 country making rapid progress toward its climate targets.

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Furthermore, India has established its own targets under the Paris Agreement, and it currently has three quantifiable NDCs. By 2030, it aims to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 percent compared to 2005 levels, increase total cumulative electricity generation from fossil-free energy sources to 40%, and create an extra carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes through increased forest and tree cover.

However, when it comes to net zero emissions, India has typically shied away from providing detailed responses. But it has also resisted being forced to commit to such a deadline on the grounds that it violates agreed-upon climate justice principles that require countries to bear "differential responsibilities" in addressing the crisis.

There's another apprehension as well. Taking into account its overachievement of 2030 pledges and ambitious renewable energy ambitions of 450 GW, India may not pass up the opportunity to make additional commitments or announcements, aligning it with the 2047 timeframe, which coincides with its 100th year of independence.

Years before COP26

The COP is part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was established in 1994. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was founded to work towards ¡°stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.¡± Since 1995, members of the COP have met once a year. India, China, and the United States are among the 198 parties to the UNFCCC.

In 1995, Berlin hosted the first ever conference (COP1). It was a watershed moment, paving the way for the renowned Kyoto Protocol, which was signed two years later at COP3 in Kyoto, Japan. The protocol binds member governments to pursue greenhouse gas emission reductions. It went into effect on February 16, 2005, and there are currently 192 parties in the Kyoto Protocol.

However, it was rejected by then-US President George W. Bush because it did not require China, India, and other large emerging nations to limit their greenhouse gas emissions.

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Fast forward to the year 2015. Nearly 200 countries joined the Paris Agreement after more than two decades of disagreements over who bears the greatest responsibility for combating climate change. That agreement was seen as ground-breaking. For the first time, rich and poor countries agreed to act on climate change, albeit at differing rates. Although the United States withdrew from the agreement under previous President Donald Trump, it later re-joined the agreement under President Joe Biden.

While leaders made huge pledges in Paris, countries have not done enough to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, bringing us to COP26 in Glasgow, where leaders are being pressed to be more ambitious.

The COP26 agenda

Under the Paris Agreement, the world leaders could determine how quickly their countries reduce emissions. They promised to revise their action plans every five years. But big emitters like China, India, and Saudi Arabia, however, did not submit any new plans before the COP26 session in Glasgow. According to a September study by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which organises international climate discussions, updated plans account for just roughly half of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Kingdom, which is co-hosting the summit with Italy, has pressed countries to submit updated plans and is pushing for tangible agreements to assist them meet their goals. Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has issued a global call on world leaders to deliver bold commitments on "coal, cars, cash and trees."