Well, really, it doesn’t matter all that much, since most 1st World countries will fail on following through on their pledges
Cop26 deal falters after 48 hours as US and Australia hint at no new targets next year
The Cop26 deal faltered within 48 hours as the US and Australia, two of the world’s largest emitters, suggested they would not set new climate targets next year.
A key clause in the Glasgow Climate Pact asks countries to set out updated plans to cut emissions between now and 2030 by the end of 2022 in an effort to push more ambitious action over the next decade – seen as crucial to stem the most dangerous effects of global warming.
A joint statement released by Australia’s foreign and emissions reduction ministers on Sunday read: “Australia’s 2030 target is fixed and we are committed to meeting and beating it, as we did with our Kyoto-era targets.”
Almost no nations met their Kyoto targets. Australia was one of 3 that did meet, at +8
During the Cop26 process, other countries also suggested they might not update their plans. Among them was New Zealand, whose climate minister, James Shaw, said during the talks that just because they had been asked to strengthen the plans, “it doesn’t mean you have to”, prompting criticism from environmental groups. (snip)
John Kerry, Washington’s climate envoy, said the existing US climate plans fulfilled the requirements in the Paris Agreement to limit temperature rises to below 2C and make efforts towards limiting them to 1.5C. (snip)
On Monday in the House of Commons, Boris Johnson also suggested Britain would not update its targets, saying: “The UK is already compliant with 1.5 as a result of pledges made by 2030 and 2035, so if we can deliver on those we believe we will be able to restrain our emissions.”
Oops. You know, though, that the 3rd World Nations do not care about those targets, they just want that sweet, sweet climate cash
During the conference, South Africa secured US, UK and EU funding to help it transition away from coal, and both Brazil and Australia have elections next year in which challengers may make more ambitious climate pledges as part of their pitch to voters, he said.
South Africa is pretty much a high end 3rd world nation at this point, perhaps a low end 2nd world. And they just want that money. And, when they get it, they’ll probably use it mostly on things other than transitioning away from coal.
