I was in China a few weeks ago, and I made the point to them very clearly, which is that President Xi Jinping has said that China will peak its emissions - carbon emissions before 2030, that it will reach carbon neutrality before 2060. You know, I've been having conversations with the Chinese counterparts. If we don't get this right now, the goal of limiting global warming slips from our grasp. SHARMA: So you're absolutely right that there is a very narrow window in which to act. Can this work if China, the biggest emitter in the world, is not fully on board? You've said it's unclear whether President Xi Jinping will even attend the summit. 1 emitter in the world, is planning to continue building coal-fired power plants, at least through the end of the decade. SHAPIRO: There's such a narrow window to accomplish what you're talking about. SHAPIRO: Which is still catastrophic for the planet. But what progress have we seen? The latest estimates suggest that we are anywhere in the range of 2.4 to 2.7 degrees global warming. You made the point that, actually, countries have made commitments. And to do that, what we're asking every country to do is to come forward with ambitious plans to cut emissions in the near term by 2030 but then align those with net-zero emissions from their economies by the middle of the century. SHARMA: So I think you make a really valuable point here, which is that what we want coming out of COP26 is to be able to say with credibility that we have kept the goals of the Paris Agreement alive, this 1.5 degree limit still within reach. So how do you make sure, even if you get the words you're looking for, that they translate to actions? But in the years since then, countries have overwhelmingly failed to follow through on their commitments. SHAPIRO: And so explain what you mean when you say countries need to play their part because at the Paris Climate Summit in 2015, almost every country in the world signed onto an international treaty to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. I mean, it is something that is challenging millions of people around the world, and that's why we need to get to grips with this.
You see the same thing in Central Europe. You see what's happening in China in terms of flooding. I mean, look in the states, what's happening in terms of wildfires, what's happening in terms of flooding. You know, the whole aim of COP26 is for countries to come forward, for world leaders to come forward and play their part in limiting global warming. SHARMA: Well, I think the first thing to say is, reflecting on this point that this being our last best chance, it's important to recognize why that is.
So what does getting it right look like? How do you define success? SHAPIRO: You've said that this year's summit is the world's last best chance of getting it right and preventing climate disaster. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.ĪLOK SHARMA: Thank you so much, Ari - great to be on the show.
Alok Sharma is president of COP26, and he joins us from here in Washington, D.C. It might be the last best chance for the world to agree on the kinds of dramatic steps that scientists say are necessary to avoid catastrophe. climate change conference known as COP26. Can one global summit change the fate of the world? Well, in just over a month, leaders will meet in Scotland for a U.N.
0 kommentar(er)
