Another day at COP26 is coming to a close and what a day it’s been! The CHEC team have been busy speaking to and meeting other delegates and attending events. We’ve got a great video from the team as well as plenty of photos, plus all the latest from Wednesday 3rd at COP26, including:
- Green Finance’s $130 Trillion Commitment
- Nessie’s Arrest and Continued Protests
- Food Menu Criticism
- The Impact of COP26 Pledges
If you are looking for what’s on tomorrow, you can find that here: COP26 Daily Preview: Thursday 4th November.
CHEC Enjoys a Successful Day at COP26
Before COP26 had even begun, one delegate had a wonderful experience exploring a COP26 Carbon Trail in Bennachie, Aberdeenshire. However, back in Glasgow the CHEC team attended events including:
- Financing A More Resilient World (Presidency Programme)
- Achievements of the Adaptation Committee from 2017–2021
- Creation of the Systematic Observation Financing Facility
The CHEC team also spoke to and interviewed a number of attendees from the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments which are shown in the video below.
Other photos, events and pavilions CHEC delegates attended can be seen in the photos below!
Green Finance Commits $130 Trillion to Net Zero but Scepticism Remains
Today, Mark Carney and Rishi Sunak confirmed that 450 firms controlling 40% of global financial assets, equivalent to $130 trillion, have agreed to commit to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
Sunak promised the UK would take the lead on this. Therefore, UK financial institutions and businesses would be required to show how they will decarbonise and transition to net zero.
However, sceptics are wary of the pledge and some have called it ‘toothless’ and ‘ineffectual’.
Loch Ness Monster Found and Arrested as Protests Continue
Protests at COP26 are still ongoing. A third day of protests continued as some activists were arrested in Glasgow.
5 people were arrested at a protest outside SSE however, the majority of protests were peaceful. The protests are against “greenwashing”, a practice that many corporations and energy firms are accused of doing to come across as environmentally conscious when in reality, bad practices continue.
Another arrest occurred on the banks of the River Clyde where a four meters tall and eight meters high inflatable Loch Ness Monster was about to set sail.
COP26 Food Menu is Criticised
The link between food and climate change is massive. Therefore, it’s no wonder the COP26 food menu has come under huge scrutiny for the meals on offer.
60 percent of the food on offer includes either meat or dairy. Two food substances known for being bad for greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, the Salmon and Conservation Trust has also questioned the sustainability of food used in meals. They have questioned the use of farmed salmon in some of the food dishes.
COP26 Pledges Bring Predicted Warming to Under 2 Degrees
The final big news story we are covering today is that of the impact of COP26 pledges. The University of Melbourne have calculated that the impact of the pledges made at COP26 is enough to bring global heating to 1.9 degrees.
This may seem disappointing. We all know the target is 1.5 degrees. However, this is the first time that global heating has been predicted to fall to below 2 degrees.
Caution is recommended though. As Ed Miliband shared: “Any progress is welcome but we need extreme caution about declaring success on the basis of vague and often vacuous net zero targets three or more decades hence.”
If you don’t want to miss out on what’s on at COP26 tomorrow then look no further: COP26 Daily Preview: Thursday 4th November.