Draft COP26 text urges nations to speed up emissions goals in 2022

GLASGOW: A draft text at the COP26 climate summit urged countries on Wednesday to revisit their emissions cutting goals by 2022, three years ahead of schedule, after data showed current plans were far from limiting heating to 1.5°C.

After 10 days of technical discussions among delegates from nearly 200 nations in Glasgow on how the world can implement the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the text called for nations to “revisit and strengthen” their decarbonisation plans next year.

The draft, which will change as ministers’ work towards the summit’s conclusion, said that limiting heating to 1.5°C “requires meaningful and effective action by all parties in this critical decade”.

It said “rapid, deep and sustained reductions in the global greenhouse gas emissions” were needed to avert the worst impacts of heating, which had already seen countries worldwide slammed by fiercer floods, droughts and storms.

COP26 was billed by host Britain as an opportunity to “keep 1.5°C” alive after a yearlong delay due to the Covid-19.

However, the countries’ latest decarbonisation plans are likely to see earth warm 2.7°C this century, according to a United Nations assessment of the pledges.