Glasgow climate conference: why it matters to Aussies
Scott Morrison is heading to the COP26 conference – one of the hottest tickets for world leaders and celebrities. This is what we can expect and what it means for Australia.
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It’s the biggest event in international diplomacy this year. Bring yourself up to speed on the COP26 conference with this explainer.
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Some 200 countries will be represented at the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow. Preliminaries kick off on October 31 and the event goes until November 14. Leaders will gather in the first few days of the conference; after that the bureaucrats and diplomats do their thing.
WHY DO THEY CALL IT ‘COP26’?
‘COP’ is an acronym for ‘Conference of the Parties’. This is the 26th such meeting since 1992.
WHO WILL BE THERE?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnston, US President Joe Biden and former US Secretary of State John Kerry, French President Emmanuel Macron and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have all confirmed their attendance. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was a ‘maybe’ for a while, but recently confirmed he would be there. Energy Minister Angus Taylor will also be going.
Labor is sending Senator Pat Conroy and climate change spokesperson Mark Dreyfus.
But check out the star power of the other attendees: the Queen, David Attenborough, Bill Gates and Greta Thunberg are all likely to be in attendance, health permitting in a few cases.
The Pope was expected at one point but is now likely to make an appearance via video link.
The Royals will be a hefty presence, with Princes Charles and William, as well as their respective partners Camilla and Kate, all going.
Confirmed Australian attendees include Fortescue Metals Groups chairman Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who will be attending as a representative of Fortescue. Professor Tim Flannery and Dr Simon Bradshaw from the Climate Council are also Glasgow bound.
Some 25,000 delegates are expected to be in Glasgow for the conference.
WHO WON’T BE ATTENDING?
Some leaders have confirmed they won’t be going, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
A few leaders have yet to confirm if they’ll be there or not, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Two sectors of the global economy with emissions that sit outside any individual countries’ emissions tallies – international aviation and shipping – will not be officially represented at COP26.
WHAT’S THE OBJECTIVE?
The UK has been very upfront about the outcome they’d like to see from the event: countries coming forward with “ambitious” emissions reductions targets which will assist them in getting to net zero by 2050.
WHAT WILL AUSTRALIA COMMIT TO DOING?
When other countries announced new emissions targets at the G7 meeting in the UK in July, Australia held back, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying our road map would be announced by the time of COP26.
Last week Mr Morrison ruled out taking a higher emissions reduction target for 2030 to Glasgow.
Under the Paris Agreement, Australia agreed to slash greenhouse gases by 26-28 per cent by 2030 – a level that was also adopted by the US. Since then, Washington has said it will lift its ambition and go for a 50-52 per cent cut.
Mr Morrison’s announcement quashed expectations that Australia would move to match the US.
But it is widely believed he will announce Australia will commit to a net zero goal by 2050.
Most observers believe it would be economic suicide for Australia not to do this, as all our significant trading partners have adopted the target, and being obstinate will simply expose us to the sorts of carbon border tariffs being developed by the European Union, and considered by other countries.
WHAT WILL OTHER COUNTRIES COMMIT TO DOING?
Australia is not the only country set to announce a new emissions target or road map. Earlier this month South Korea said it would cut emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, and New Zealand has revealed it will announce an “ambitious” new target at Glasgow. Recent reports suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin could commit to a 2060 net zero target.
WHAT’S UP FOR DISCUSSION?
The big sticking point will likely be the issue of carbon trading between nations. One issue that has emerged in recent years is countries “double dipping” – counting carbon credit projects within their own borders that have also been purchased by companies in other countries. (Brazil is reportedly big on this.)
Climate financing will be thrashed out as the first order of business after the leaders’ summit.
Under the Paris Agreement, developed nations committed to “mobilising” $100 billion per year for climate mitigation projects for the G77 developing nations.
The future phasing out of coal is also likely to be debated – and this is an issue close to Australia’s heart as it’s our second biggest export earner, and we’re the second biggest exporter of the stuff.
This year has already seen several moves to suppress the coal trade: in May the International Energy Agency called for the immediate cessation of all new fossil fuel projects, and in September China announced it was no longer pursuing plans for coal fired power generation in other countries (although no word on its own hefty pipeline for coal projects).
WILL THERE BE PROTESTS?
It’s pretty much guaranteed that groups such as Extinction Rebellion will take the opportunity to draw attention to the climate issue with their highly theatrical displays. Another group called Insulate Britain, which is specifically calling for the insulation of all social housing in the UK, is also likely to stage road blockades.
WILL THERE BE A COP27?
Yes indeed. COP 27 will take place in 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Australia is yet to host a COP meeting.
Originally published as Glasgow climate conference: why it matters to Aussies
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