The COP26 President is participating in two climate events to push for countries to realise the climate pledges made in Glasgow before COP27.
This week, Alok Sharma, the COP26 president, is taking part in two significant climate events in Sweden with the aim of transforming the climate pledges made in the Glasgow Climate Pact into action ahead of COP27 in Egypt.
On Tuesday 31 May, the COP26 President will speak in Stockholm at the Ministerial on Climate Action (MOCA). This event is co-hosted by Canada, the EU and China and will be centred around the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Following this, Sharma will participate in an event called Stockholm +50, which has been organised by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to mark 50 years since the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment.
Ministerial on Climate Action
At MOCA, Sharma will review the accomplishments of COP26, which maintained the target of preventing global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C, whilst strengthening progress on finance for climate action, adaptation and loss and damage. As well as this, he is set to consider the conclusions from the May Ministerial on Implementation, which was co-hosted by Egypt and the UK in Copenhagen two weeks ago. This event restored emphasis on the need to deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact, and the actions that must be taken to attain these goals.
The COP26 President will reiterate the May Ministerial’s agreement that countries should reconsider their 2030 emissions reductions targets before COP27 and reinforce them with feasible plans if they do not line up with the objectives set out in the Paris Agreement.
He will discuss the necessity for scaling up and providing timely access to finance for countries working to adapt to the effects of climate change, as well as delivering on scaling up resources for loss and damage and guaranteeing that climate action is being funded.
Sharma is also set to meet a delegation of parents from across the globe to discuss the effects of fossil fuels on children’s health. This comes after he met a group of mothers at COP26, whereby they presented a letter calling for an end to new fossil fuels on behalf of almost 500 parents’ organisations.
Delivering on COP26 climate pledges
Speaking ahead of his visit to Sweden, Sharma said: “At COP26, countries seized the opportunity to act. We showed leadership, worked together, and embraced progress to agree to the historic Glasgow Climate Pact.
“Six months on from COP26, the world has changed. These events in Sweden are taking place against the backdrop of Putin’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Inflation, debt, and food insecurity are growing challenges. Many across the world are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic.
“So once again, we must demonstrate that these threats have increased, not diminished, our determination to deliver on the Pact. Let us now pick up the pace on delivering a net zero, climate-resilient transition ahead of COP27.
“We must accelerate progress on phasing down coal and ending inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, on our NDCs, finance, adaptation, and loss and damage. We must turn the promises and commitments of the Glasgow Climate Pact into action.”
Stockholm +50
Sharma will chair a ministerial meeting on climate, forests, and land use during Stockholm +50 on Wednesday 1 June. This will centre on implementing the pledges made at the COP26 World Leaders Summit on Forests and Land Use. At COP26, this declaration was advocated by 143 countries and if it is implemented, it will offer 10% of the emissions reduction required by 2030 to maintain the 1.5°C promise. Minister for the Pacific and the International Environment Lord Goldsmith will be the Minister speaking for the UK at the meeting.
Expanding the scale and speed of delivery of adaptation finance and accelerating action will be the focus of the second Stockholm +50 side event Sharma will be participating in. Ministers at the ‘Fast-tracking resilience building and adaptation’ event are anticipated to highlight that developed countries must deliver on the commitment to double the levels of finance for adaptation to the impacts of climate change by 2025, as well as enhancing the quality of and access to adaptation finance.
