COP26: Quitting coal and rebounding CO2 emissions
- Published
Here are five things you need to know about the COP26 climate change conference on Thursday.
1. Pledge to quit coal
Countries such as Poland, Vietnam and Chile, which rely heavily on coal - the single biggest contributor to global warming - are committing to move away from it. More than 40 countries have signed up to a statement to quit the use of the fossil fuel, and the UK government says 190 nations and organisations have pledged to stop using it. "The end of coal is in sight," says Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng. But some of the world's biggest coal-dependent countries, including Australia, India, China and the US, didn't sign up, which makes for "glaring gaps", according to shadow business secretary Ed Miliband. There is also nothing about moving away from oil and gas, he adds. Follow our updates as the COP26 summit focuses on energy.
2. Rebounding CO2 emissions
Global carbon dioxide, or CO2, emissions are set to rebound to near pre-Covid levels. Gas emissions fell by 5.4% during lockdowns in 2020 but the scientific Global Carbon Project report predicts they will rise by 4.9% this year. Scientists, surprised by the findings, say this increase underlines the urgency of action at summits such as COP26 in Glasgow.
3. Climate change and disability
When Israeli minister Karine Elharrar couldn't attend COP26 because it wasn't wheelchair-accessible, it was a reflection of how many disabled people often feel - ignored and left out of climate change conversations. This is despite the United Nations Human Rights Council saying those with disabilities are among the people most "adversely affected in an emergency". So why are they so affected by climate change and what can we do about it? We've taken a look.
COP: Israeli minister hopes for better wheelchair access at conferences
4. 'My police dog gets on with the job'
Sgt Lynsey Buchanan-Barlas and her police dog Nico have been searching Glasgow's streets for explosives weeks before and during COP26. Although there are different things going on with lots of important people at the summit, it's all about keeping everyone safe. "The dogs are the brains of the operation, I just hold the lead," she says. Read more about their team work.
5. Hydrogen hope
Its chemical symbol is H and it's once again been hitting the headlines. Hydrogen is being mooted as a clean fuel source that could help curb greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. So what exactly is hydrogen energy and how could it be used as an alternative to fossil fuels? Find out here.
Watch: What is hydrogen energy and why is it important?
And there's more...
Net zero is a phrase that keeps popping up but do you know what it means? The simplest way of explaining it is that it means not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Those gases, such as CO2, are released when we burn oil, gas and coal for our homes, factories and transport. So reducing those emissions and balancing out any remaining ones, by planting trees that absorb carbon for example, achieves net zero.
Read more about it here and you can also find out how the UK and other countries are doing.
You can find further information on our climate page.
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