GLASGOW: AS this year’s U.N. climate talks go into their second week, negotiations on key topics are inching forward. Boosted by a few high-profile announcements at the start of the meeting, delegates are upbeat about the prospects for tangible progress in the fight against global warming.
Laurent Fabius, the former French foreign minister who helped forge the Paris climate accord, said the general atmosphere had improved since the talks began Oct. 31 and “most negotiators want an agreement.”
But negotiators were still struggling late Saturday to put together a series of draft decisions for government ministers to finalize during the second week of the talks.
“People are having to take tough decisions, as they should,” Archie Young, the U.K.’s lead negotiator, said Saturday.
Here’s the state of play in four main areas halfway through the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow:
TOP RESULT FROM THE CONFERENCE
Each Conference of the Parties, or COP, ends with a general statement. It’s as much a political declaration as a statement of intent about where countries agree the effort to combat climate change is heading.
A flurry of announcements at the start of the COP26 talks in Glasgow on issues including ending deforestation, cutting methane emissions, providing more money for green investments and phasing out the use of coal could be reflected in this final declaration. Even though only some countries signed on to each of those deals, others would be encouraged to add their signatures at a later date.
Affirming the goal of keeping global warming at or below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, compared to pre-industrial times, is also seen as important. With greenhouse gas emissions continuing to rise, host Britain has said it wants the Glasgow talks to “keep 1.5 C alive.” One way to achieve that would be to encourage rich polluters in particular to update their emissions-cutting targets every one or two years, rather than every five years as now required by the Paris accord.
MONEY MATTERS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
Rich countries pledged to mobilize $100 billion each year by 2020 to help poor nations cope with climate change. That target was likely missed, much to the frustration of developing nations.
Restoring goodwill and trust between rich and poor countries on this issue requires a clear commitment on raising financial support starting from 2025. Addressing the thorny question of who is to pay for the losses and damages that nations face as a result of global warming they aren’t responsible for is likewise important, but agreement there could be elusive, observers say.
“It’s about finance, finance, finance, finance,” said Fabius.
CARBON TRADING: A TRICKY NUT TO CRACK
Many negotiators and observers at climate conferences roll their eyes when they hear the words “Article 6.”
The section dealing with rules for carbon markets has become one of the trickiest parts of the Paris climate accord to finalize. Six years after that deal was sealed, countries appear to be making headway though and there’s even talk of a breakthrough on the issue that so frustrated negotiators in Madrid two years ago.
Observers say Brazil and India may be willing to drop demands to count their old — but others say worthless — carbon credits amassed under previous agreements. The price for this might be that rich nations grant poor countries a share of proceeds from carbon market transactions to adapt to climate change. This has been a red line for the United States and the European Union until now.
A deal on Article 6 is seen as crucial because many countries and companies aim to cut their emissions to “net zero” by 2050. This requires balancing out any remaining pollution with an equal amount of carbon they can reliably say is captured elsewhere, such as through forests or by technological means.
TRANSPARENCY AND RIGOR IN NATIONAL EMISSIONS-CUTTING TARGETS
The Paris Agreement lets governments set their own emissions-cutting targets, and many of them are in the distant future.
Verifying that countries are doing what they committed to, and that their goals are backed up by realistic measures, is tricky. China in particular has bristled at the idea of having to provide data in formats set by other nations. Brazil and Russia, meanwhile, have resisted demands to lay out in greater detail the short-term measures they’re taking to meet their long-term goals.
AP Newsroom
Sun Nov 07 2021
Delegates gather inside the venue on another day at the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, Nov. 3, 2021. - AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File
10 pekerja maut dalam letupan kilang mercun di India
Sekurang-kurangnya 10 pekerja termasuk enam daripadanya wanita terbunuh dalam letupan di kilang mercun berlesen di kampung Sengamalapatti di Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India.
Filipina gesa diplomat China diusir
Ia berhubung dakwaan kebocoran perbualan telefon dengan seorang pegawai tentera Filipina berhubung perbalahan di Laut China Selatan.
Astro Kem Badminton singgah di Johor Bahru
Dengan kerjasama Felet dan Carrie Bacbuster, peserta diuji dengan latihan intensif dengan harapan akan terpilih ke kem latihan bersama Akademi Badminton Malaysia (BAM).
61 maut akibat strok haba di Thailand
Kementerian Kesihatan hari ini memaklumkan, kematian akibat strok haba di Thailand setakat tahun ini adalah 61 kes, lebih banyak daripada angka keseluruhan direkodkan tahun lalu.
China minta Filipina henti provokasi
Reaksi itu diberi China selepas penasihat keselamatan negara Filipina menggesa pegawai kedutaan China diusir, pada Jumaat.
Serangan Rafah: Hanya sebuah hospital beroperasi
Hospital Kuwait kini menjadi satu-satunya institusi perubatan yang berfungsi di bandar dengan populasi lebih satu juta penduduk itu.
[TERKINI] PBB lulus resolusi iktiraf Palestin sebagai anggota penuh
PBB lulus resolusi mengiktiraf Palestin sebagai negara anggota penuh, dengan 143 negara mengundi menyokong,9 menentang dan 25 berkecuali.
Keputusan SPM kekal pada 27 Mei - Fadhlina
Kementerian Pendidikan (KPM) mengekalkan tarikh keputusan pengumuman Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2023 pada 27 Mei ini, kerana yakin pelajar mempunyai masa mencukupi membuat persiapan permohonan kemasukan ke institut pengajian tinggi (IPT)
KPM perkasa sistem pendidikan sejajar titah Tunku Mahkota Ismail - Fadhlina Sidek
Kementerian Pendidikan (KPM) sedang melaksanakan pelbagai inisiatif memperkasakan sistem pendidikan negara, selaras dengan titah Pemangku Sultan Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail yang mahukan langkah lebih proaktif dalam meningkatkan sistem dan kualiti sektor itu.
Kerajaan beri jaminan sedia rawatan susulan - Dr Dzulkefly
Malah KKM juga tegas beliau juga ada kaedah menyediakan bantuan diperlukan kepada penerima yang mengalami kesan sampingan daripada suntikan vaksin.
Tukang masak berdepan hukuman mati, edar dan miliki dadah
Seorang tukang masak berdepan hukuman mati selepas didakwa atas dua tuduhan memiliki dan mengedar dadah.
Pemegang AP nafi dapat 'keuntungan melampau' jual EV - Pekema
Katanya, margin keuntungan yang diambil pengimport berbanding harga kilang ketika menjual semula kereta tersebut di Malaysia adalah normal.
Kastam sita 50 kenderaan mewah tiada AP bernilai RM11.4 juta
Sembilan daripada 50 kenderaan melibatkan motosikal berkuasa tinggi manakala selebihnya kereta mewah dari pelbagai negara.
Pemansuhan AP langkah tepat, jamin kelangsungan bekalan makanan - Nanta
Beliau berkata langkah itu akan memberi kelebihan kepada pengguna apabila bekalan mudah didapati berbanding keadaan semasa.
Status bekalan ayam di Selangor dimaklumkan Isnin ini
Kerajaan negeri Selangor akan memaklumkan perkembangan terkini berhubung isu bekalan ayam yang didakwa tidak mencukupi sejak kebelakangan ini, pada Isnin (23 Mei).
Mansuh AP: MPN mahu kerajaan jaga kepentingan pengusaha makanan, pertanian
MPN memohon kerajaan menjaga kepentingan para pengusaha sektor makanan dan pertanian negara agar pemansuhan keperluan AP terhadap bahan makanan nanti tidak membawa kesan negatif kepada golongan itu.
Kontena dari Amerika Syarikat bawa sisa plastik jenis polietilena, bersih
Kontena dari Amerika Syarikat bawa sisa plastik jenis polietilena, bersih
60 peratus pemegang AP import daging dimiliki syarikat bumiputera - Kiandee
Antara pemegang AP daging syarikat bumiputera ialah Ramly Food Processing Sdn Bhd dan Darabif Meat Company yang berkeupayaan mengimport daging dalam jumlah besar.
MITI, agensi beroperasi secara jauh kecuali khidmat penting
Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (MITI) dan agensi di bawah kendaliannya, akan beroperasi secara jauh susulan pelaksanaan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan selama 14 hari bermula hari ini.
Sembilan syarikat disenarai hitam terlibat penyelewengan AP kenderaan
Kementerian ini sejak 2009 telah melaksanakan audit pematuhan secara berkala, bagi memastikan isu penyalahgunaan AP dapat diselesaikan.