Scientific advisers urge detailed plans from COP26, not just climate pledges

In four days' time, governments will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, to meet a deadline of this year to commit to more ambitious emissions cut pledges, in what could be the last chance to put the world on track to keeping warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This week, a United Nations report said current pledges put the world on track for an average 2.7 degrees Celsius temperature rise and a separate report in August warned that global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions could breach 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next two decades.

In a statement published on Thursday (Oct 28), senior scientific advisers in countries including Argentina, Australia, Britain, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Mauritius, Mexico and Morocco, said it was still possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

However, significant behavioural, technological and socio-economic transformations are needed to achieve a steep reduction in emissions by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.

The advisers said governments must develop long-term strategies based on scientific evidence to scale up ways to decarbonise economies over the next decade, have clear and detailed policies and regular reviews of emissions reduction plans.

'MORE THAN JUST A PLEDGE'

"The 1.5 degrees Celsius (limit) is achievable provided action is taken. Action needs to be more than just a pledge; it needs to be backed up by clear plans and those plans need to be monitored," Patrick Vallance, the UK government's chief scientific adviser, told journalists.

The advisers said a range of existing and new technological solutions need to be scaled up rapidly and deployed across all sectors of the global economy.

There should be much more international collaboration to accelerate research, development, demonstration and deployment of effective ways to reduce emissions and solutions to adapt to climate change.

Many scientists have long called for rapid and drastic changes across society to help limit global warming, including less consumption of meat, less travel by aeroplane and internal combustion engine cars.

"I think those are things which need to happen," Vallance said.

"There are behavioural changes which are needed from all of us. A series of small changes are important when they are aggregated over millions and millions of people."

How that might be achieved is a decision for governments, not scientists, but the world should not rely on a "magic technology" to save it, he said.

"The 'green' choice needs to be the easy choice. If there is too much of a barrier there won't be much change. At the moment, some of these choices are expensive. The cost premium needs to be brought down," Vallance added.

UK's Johnson voices concern COP26 'might go wrong'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday (Oct 25) said he was "very worried" that the 12-day COP26 climate summit he will host in Glasgow from later this week "might go wrong".

But the UK leader told a special Downing Street press conference with children that he remained hopeful a deal can be done to reduce carbon emissions and limit future temperature rises.

"I'm very worried because it might go wrong and we might not get the agreements that we need and it's touch and go," Johnson said, as he fielded questions from the youngsters aged eight to 12.

"It's very, very far from clear that we'll get the progress that we need.

"It's very, very difficult, but I think it can be done."

The British premier said that the gathering running from Sunday to Nov 12 in the Scottish city was "perhaps the most important summit that this country has had in our lifetimes".

It will be the biggest climate conference since the 2015 Paris summit and is seen as crucial in setting worldwide emission targets to slow global warming, as well as firming up other key commitments.

Johnson's downbeat assessment follows similar weekend comments by Alok Sharma, the British minister in charge of the talks, who warned success at COP26 would be "definitely harder" to achieve than in Paris.

Flanked by WWF UK chief executive Tanya Steele at Monday's kids' event, Johnson said striking a deal would require world leaders each "making some sacrifice".

"Each of them have got to agree to do something that's difficult for them - whether it's stop using coal-fired power stations, or give some money to help the developing world, or start using electric vehicles," he said.

"I do think that world leaders are really starting to listen.

"I've talked to a lot of them in the last few weeks, and they're making some good commitments," the UK leader said.