As you have known for a long time, promises only bind those who listen to them… As every year, the COP is a meeting of dunces and bad students who want to give themselves a clear conscience. It’s been a long time since nobody expected anything. Cop26 objectives and disillusions …
In December 2015 in Paris, nearly 200 governments around the world pledged to do what is necessary to limit greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep the global temperature rise between 1.5 and 2 ° C by 2050.
We saved the world!
The collective objective of COP21 seemed clear: relieve the planet by containing as much as possible the disastrous consequences of global warming.
We then spoke of ” giant step “And some even declared with relief:” NWe saved the world“. But since the Paris Agreement did not provide no sanction in the event of non-compliance with commitments, very little progress has been made.
Studies clearly show that promises have not been kept.
Greenhouse gas emissions have further increased each year by 1.5% on average and we even broke all emission records in 2019, with nearly 60 billion tonnes of CO2. Unsurprisingly, 2020, the year of the Covid, was one of the years the hottest for 150 years.
Faced with the inaction of the political world, civil society mobilized, protests and civil disobedience movements were launched.
The young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg declared: ” Entire ecosystems are collapsing, we are at the start of mass extinction and all you talk about is money and the fairy tale of eternal economic growth. How dare you ? “
If current trends are confirmed, the average temperature on Earth is likely toincrease by 3 ° C by the end of the century. The sixth report of the IPCC may play the trumpet to remind States to honor their commitments, you might as well piss in a violin…
25 COP for not much
When we take stock of the first 25 editions of the COP, the account is not there at all! In September 2021, the UN officially found that the trajectory of global warming was 2.7 ° C by the end of the century.
We are very far from 1.5 ° C when we know full well that every tenth of a degree above this temperature will have serious consequences on the life and health of populations.…
The UN has certainly noted “ a clear trend of reducing greenhouse gas emissions over time “But above all invites States to” redouble efforts“.
COP26 binding objectives or promises with no future?
So is there still reason to believe it? Not really…
In total, 127 countries, responsible for 63% of emissions greenhouse gases, have already committed to a zero emissions target or are considering doing so.
China is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, which would reduce global warming from 0.2 to 0.3 ° by 2100. But it continues to start work on coal-fired power plants.
The United States reinstated the famous Paris Agreement upon the inauguration of President Biden, to reduce global warming by 0.1 ° C. Yet we are already announcing the great comeback of shale oil American markets.
The 27 countries of the European Union have agreed to reduce their CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030. The NGOs deem this commitment insufficient, they demand a reduction of 65%.
As for France, it is behind on all of its 2015 targets : thermal renovation of buildings, transport, agriculture… No comments!
2021: CO2 emissions on the rise
To achieve the global target, greenhouse gas emissions would have to be reduced by 7.6% per year annually until 2030. We won’t get there.
The proof ? The latest report from the IEA (International Energy Agency) estimated that global energy-related CO2 emissions are expected to increase by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021. The post-Covid economic rebound risks canceling out the sharp drop in CO2 emissions recorded in 2020.
Asked recently about the effectiveness of COPs, Greta Thunberg demonstrated a cruel lucidity: “ As they currently exist, COPs will lead nowhere unless there is massive public pressure. (…) It’s all blah-blah-blah : these are just negotiations and empty speeches, endless discussions that are rarely followed by action. ”
The activist found it all the same a small sign of hope : ” For us, it is an opportunity to mobilize the public, to draw attention to the crisis, to explain that we are facing an emergency situation… Finally, I think that COP26 is an opportunity to we of mobilize the public around climate change. ”
