Six actions against climate change ahead of the COP26 Climate Conference

From the week of the UN General Assembly to the last pre-COP26 meeting, September has been an important time to build momentum ahead of the decisive UN Climate Conference COP26 in early November.

UN News has compiled a list of the six most important points related to climate action that need to be known ahead of this meeting, to be held in the British city of Glasgow. 

Governments and the private sector pledged more than $400 billion in new finance and investment at the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy, the first leaders' level meeting on the issue under the auspices of the UN General Assembly in 40 years.

More than 35 countries, from island states to large emerging and industrialised economies, made important new energy commitments.

For example, the No More Coal Pact includes Sri Lanka, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Montenegro.

Countries that are part of the coalition have committed to immediately stop granting new permits for coal-fired power generation projects and to cease construction of new coal-fired power generation projects from the end of 2021.

Several new partnership initiatives were announced during the event, with the aim of providing and improving access to reliable electricity to more than one billion people.

The world's two largest economies pledged to take more ambitious climate action during the high-level week of the General Assembly.

US President Joe Biden announced that the United States would significantly increase its international climate finance to about $11.4 billion a year.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he would end all funding for coal-fired power plants abroad and redirect support to green, low-carbon power generation.

While the announcements were widely welcomed, the UN secretary-general noted that there is still "a long way to go" to make the Glasgow Climate Conference a success to ensure "a turning point in our collective efforts to tackle the climate crisis".

People from all over Africa gathered virtually for several days to explore possibilities and showcase ambitious solutions in the fight against global warming.

More than 1,600 people actively participated in the virtual meeting, where the host government of Uganda brought together executives from the region at all levels, along with private sector leaders, academic experts and other key interested parties.

Janet Rogan, COP26 Regional Ambassador for Africa and the Middle East, said the meeting enabled many stakeholders to build new partnerships and strengthen existing ones.

"Only by working together can we truly help deliver on the Paris Agreement, being aware of the unique opportunities and challenges this brings to the region," she said.

A number of UN agencies also participated:

The World Bank discussed economy-wide approaches to sustainable and green recovery.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) looked at how climate risk and climate solutions are transforming different sectors.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) imagined the future and examined behaviours, technologies and financing.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published its first assessment of Africa's forests and landscapes, revealing that up to 65% of productive land is degraded, while desertification affects 45% of Africa's land area.

Africa has contributed little to climate change, generating only a small fraction of global emissions.

Yet it may be the world's most vulnerable region, already suffering from droughts, floods and destructive locust invasions, among other effects of climate change.

Right at the start of the General Assembly, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson convened an emergency meeting to push for more action on climate finance and other measures ahead of COP26.

World leaders addressed the remaining gaps in action needed by national governments, especially the G20 industrialised powers, on mitigation, finance and adaptation.

The UK prime minister warned that "history will judge" the world's richest nations if they fail to deliver on their pledge to commit $100 billion a year in climate aid before the conference. He said there is a 60% chance of getting the money before November.

Johnson also assured that his country "will lead by example, keeping the environment on the world's agenda and serving as a launch pad for a green, global industrial revolution". But he warned: "No single country can change the situation; it would be like bailing out an ocean liner with a single bucket".

Food systems cause up to a third of greenhouse gas emissions and up to 80% of biodiversity loss. They also use up to 70% of freshwater reserves.

However, sustainable food production systems must be recognised as an essential solution to these existing challenges.

On 23 September, the first UN Food Systems Summit convened world leaders to galvanise action at both national and regional levels to transform the way we produce, consume and dispose of our food.

In the wake of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which showed that we have little time left to reverse man-made global warming, the US administration, one of the world's leading agricultural producers, pledged $10 billion over five years to tackle climate change and help feed the most vulnerable without depleting natural resources.

The summit, convened by the UN secretary-general in 2019 to accelerate global progress by harnessing the interconnected importance of food systems, featured other commitments from more than 85 heads of state from around the world.

Many countries announced national initiatives, totalling 231 commitments, to ensure that their food systems meet not only the nutritional needs of their populations, but also goals related to climate change, biodiversity and decent livelihoods for all. Companies and civil society organisations also made important pledges.

Nearly 400 activists aged 15-29 from 186 countries gathered in Milan, Italy, a few days ago to redouble the call for climate action. A few weeks ahead of the conference, they highlighted the leadership of young people and called for a much more conscious society.

Greta Thunberg, along with Ugandan environmentalist Vanessa Nakate, was one of the speakers at the Youth4Climate event, organised by Italy and the World Bank.

"Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah, blah, blah. Zero emissions by 2050. Blah, blah, blah. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have not led to action. Our hopes and ambitions are drowning in their empty promises," said Thunberg.

"No more empty conferences, it's time to show us the money," added Nakate, 24, referring to the $100 billion in annual climate aid pledged by richer economies to help developing countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

"What do we want? We want climate justice now," stressed Thunberg, known for inspiring a series of youth strikes around the world since 2018 aimed at raising awareness of the urgency of the issue.

The three-day meeting ended with a joint document that will be presented at the various meetings leading up to and during the conference.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres thanked the young people for coming up with ideas and solutions ahead of the UN Climate Conference.

"Young people have been at the forefront of proposing positive solutions, advocating for climate justice and holding leaders accountable. We need young people around the world to continue to speak out," he said in a video message.