TAKING SUMMIT TEMPERATURE
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Some 200 countries will be represented at the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow.
Preliminaries kick off on October 31. Leaders will gather in the first few days of the conference; after that bureaucrats and diplomats do their thing.
WHY IS IT CALLED COP26?
“COP” is an acronym for “Conference of the Parties”. This is the 26th such meeting since 1992.
WHO WILL BE THERE?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State John Kerry, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola
Sturgeon have all confirmed their attendance. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also expected.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison M was a “maybe” for a while, but recently confirmed he would be there. Energy Minister Angus Taylor will also be going. Labor is sending Senator Pat Conroy and climate change spokesman Mark Dreyfus.
The Queen, David Attenborough, Bill Gates and Greta Thunberg are all likely to be in attendance, health permitting. The Pope was expected at one point, but is now likely to make an appearance via video link.
The royals will be a hefty presence, with Princes Charles and William, as well as their respective partners Camilla and Kate, all going.
Confirmed Australian attendees include Fortescue Metals Groups chairman Andrew “Twiggy”
Forrest and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who will attend as a representative of Fortescue.
Some 25,000 delegates are expected to be in Glasgow for the conference.
WHO WON’T BE ATTENDING?
Some leaders have said they won’t be going, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
A few have yet to confirm if they’ll be there or not, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
WHAT’S THE OBJECTIVE?
The UK has been very upfront about the outcome it would like to see from the event: countries coming forward with “ambitious” emissions
reductions targets that will assist them in getting to net zero by 2050.
WHAT WILL AUSTRALIA COMMIT TO DOING?
When other countries announced new emissions targets at the G7 meeting in the UK in July, Australia held back, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying our road map would be announced by the time of COP26.
Last week Mr Morrison ruled out taking a higher emissions reduction target for 2030 to Glasgow.
Under the Paris Agreement, Australia agreed to slash greenhouse gases by 26-28 per cent by 2030 – a level that was also adopted by the US. Since then Washington has said it will lift its ambition and go for a 50-52 per cent cut.
Mr Morrison’s announcement quashed expectations that Australia would move to match the US.
But it is widely believed he will announce that Australia will commit to a net zero goal by 2050.
WHAT WILL OTHER COUNTRIES COMMIT TO DOING?
Australia is not the only country set to announce a new emissions target or road map.
Earlier this month South Korea said it would cut emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, and New Zealand has revealed it will announce an “ambitious” new target at Glasgow. Recent reports suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin could commit to a 2060 net zero target.
WHAT’S UP FOR DISCUSSION?
The big sticking point will likely be the issue of carbon trading between nations. One issue that has emerged in recent years is countries “double dipping” – counting carbon credit projects within their own borders that have also been purchased by companies in other countries (Brazil is reportedly big on this).
Climate financing will be thrashed out as the first order of business after the leaders’ summit. Under the Paris Agreement, developed nations committed to “mobilising” $100 billion a year for climate mitigation projects for the G77 developing nations.
The future phasing out of coal is also likely to be debated. This is an issue close to Australia’s heart as it’s our second biggest export earner and we’re the second biggest exporter of coal.
WILL THERE BE PROTESTS?
It’s pretty much guaranteed that groups such as Extinction Rebellion will take the opportunity to draw attention to the climate issue with their highly theatrical displays.
Another group called Insulate Britain, which is specifically calling for the insulation of all social housing in the UK, is also likely to stage road blockades.