After COP26, the World Needs Action, Not Words
The climate talks in Glasgow brought progress, but less than hoped for. Governments fudged crucial issues and left many questions unanswered. Stronger action is an urgent necessity.
A few more would have been good.
Photographer: Steve Reigate/Pool/Getty Images
The United Nations’ COP26 summit, billed as the “last, best hope” to keep ambitious climate goals alive, made progress on many fronts, despite ending on a note of disappointment. A commitment to “phase out” coal and fossil-fuel subsidies was changed in the closing moments to a promise to “phase down” coal and rid the world of “inefficient” subsidies. For many, this seemed to sum things up. The U.K.’s Alok Sharma, the minister serving as the meeting’s president, offered an emotional apology. Activists dismissed the gathering as an empty exercise.
That’s far too bleak. The summit can take credit for some real achievements. Fossil fuels were included in the final agreement for the first time. The U.S. is back at the table. Agreements like the one to curb methane emissions are a big step forward. Ambitions were ratcheted up. And governments promised to strengthen their commitments over the coming year.