While COP26 brought home some hard truths and led to some groundbreaking pledges, it’s only the start. Now, each country must back up these plans with action. Even more importantly, countries must reevaluate already ambitious emissions goals. and find room for more improvement in order for us to keep our global temperature from crossing the 1.5-degree threshold. The renewed interest and vigor that COP26 has brought about have been impressive. COP26 is only the beginning . So now, we must continue with the momentum and demonstrate our commitment. With our roadmap in hand and commitment from all sides, we can save this planet.
As COP26 comes to a close, there’s both praise and criticism over the progress made and what should be done next. While critics believe we’d make more progress focusing on each country individually, COP26 has shown the importance of collaborating on a global level, developing concrete plans and pledges for progress toward fighting climate change. With an overarching goal of reaching net zero global emissions by 2050 and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius, almost 200 countries came together to negotiate and set global expectations for the good of our planet’s future. With four objectives in mind – securing net zero, adapting to protect communities and habitats, mobilizing climate finance, and working together to deliver, 120 world leaders were able to collaborate in a way that is unheard of outside of COPs. In this article, we review what was discussed, the outcomes of these negotiations, and where we can expect to go from here.
