Govt will continue to show climate leadership

Minister of Climate Change James Shaw marked the end of COP26 negotiations in Glasgow by saying it was well past time to move from talk to action in addressing the global climate emergency.

The final agreement from COP26 does include progress on a range of priority areas for the Government, including on raising ambition and international cooperation to cut emissions.

The key parts of the final agreement are:

• A requirement for countries to strengthen their carbon-cutting pledges as necessary by the end of 2022 to make sure they align with the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees
• A new work programme to help accelerate climate ambition. This is a significant development as it means an annual check on progress will be permanently on the agenda for future COPs
• Long-awaited rules to ensure the environmental integrity of global carbon markets and transparency in how climate action is reported
• A recognition of the need to protect human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples when taking action to cut emissions
• An agreement to accelerate efforts to phase-down unabated coal and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies - and for this to be done in a way that supports a just transition for those whose work and communities are affected

The final agreement noted with “deep regret” that the goal of providing US$100 billion annually to support poorer countries to transition to clean energy and adapt to a warmer world has not yet been met.

The agreement also included a commitment for countries to keep working on how to support vulnerable countries that are already experiencing the losses and damages associated with climate change.