Rich nations losing zeal to tackle climate crisis: COP30 chief
What's the story
The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has started in Belem, Brazil. At the event, COP30 in-charge André Corrêa do Lago criticized rich countries for having lost enthusiasm in combating the climate crisis. He cited China, the leading emitter of greenhouse gases and also the largest producer and user of low-carbon energy, as a model to follow. "Somehow the reduction in enthusiasm of...global north is showing the global south is moving."
Conference goals
Paris Agreement goals at risk without immediate action
COP30 will bring together ministers and officials from 194 countries to discuss plans for limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, as per the Paris Agreement. The conference will also address phasing out fossil fuels and ensuring support for poorer nations affected by climate change. National plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are a key focus, with vulnerable countries seeking more ambitious targets than current proposals that could lead to a devastating 2.5°C increase in temperature.
Emission reduction
'1.5°C target must be our north star'
Ilana Seid, Palau's UN ambassador and a spokesperson for the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), stressed the importance of setting a global pathway to deeper emissions cuts. She said, "The 1.5°C target must be our north star." Seid emphasized that current progress is insufficient and called for collective action to meet this critical target. "Otherwise, we don't know where we are going," The Guardian reported her as saying.
Rising emissions
Methane emissions rising despite global pledge
Despite a global methane pledge made at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, methane emissions have risen. Data from satellite analysis company Kayrros shows that emissions from six major signatories, the United States, Australia, Kuwait, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iraq, are now 8.5% above 2020 levels. Antoine Rostand of Kayrros said "despite the promises made year after year...methane emissions are rising," highlighting the urgent need for action against this potent greenhouse gas.
Binding agreement
Calls for binding global agreement on methane emissions
Durwood Zaelke of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development called for a binding global agreement on methane emissions. He said, "With emissions still high, the voluntary pledge is clearly not enough to keep us from passing the fast-approaching tipping points." The ongoing COP30 conference in Brazil will address climate change issues as countries seek to finalize plans for tackling this global challenge.