The opportunity for the Earth to warm up to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius is disappearing

Many leaders said they had hoped the G20 meeting in Rome would yield more positive results. However, it seems that the chance of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius is slipping away.

The G20 summit has failed to come up with a climate plan to ensure the survival of the planet, the Guardian quotes leading figures. at the COP26 climate talks said.

Some leaders, representing more than a billion people most at risk from the effects of climate change, also said they were hoping for more than what happened at the summit in Rome. But now, it's all just a 'worry'.

The prospect of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a key threshold that scientists say is the 'planetary boundary' , is slowly drifting away ahead of the conference. COP26 in Glasgow (Scotland, UK), Guardian reported.

'From what I see it looks like we are going to exceed 1.5 degrees , ' said Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and president of the Union of Small Island States, which represents 39 countries. know. 'We are very concerned about that. This is a matter of our survival'.

COP26 is an annual event organized by the United Nations to assess the progress of responding to climate change on a global scale. (Photo: AP).

"This progress is still not enough"

Mr. Gaston Browne said that the influence of private sector interests has prevented the G20 from coming up with better plans, and emphasized that developed countries will also suffer the consequences of climate change.

'We're here to save the planet, not to protect profits,' he said, referring to multinationals and powerful lobbying groups that are benefiting from fuel subsidies. fossil.

According to some analysts, the G20 summit in Rome has made significant strides, with a commitment to net zero emissions by mid-century and action this decade to keep global temperatures from rising. more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

However, poor countries say these promises are not accompanied by clear plans.

They called on G20 leaders to take more ambitious actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions during two days of talks with more than 100 heads of state in Glasgow, followed by nearly two weeks of discussions with officials. high level.

'I'm very nervous, but even so, I'm hopeful,' Mr Browne said.

Sharing the same view, Sonam Wangdi, Chairman of the Least Developed Countries Group, which represents more than a billion people globally, said that so far, progress in saving the Earth "is certainly not enough".

"We are a long way from 1.5 degrees Celsius journey. We need them (developed countries) to accelerate and achieve this ambition," he said.

Demonstration against climate change in Bonn, Germany. (Photo: Unsplash).

Meanwhile, Steve Victor, Palau's environment minister, said the G20 had fallen far behind where it should have been to ensure a secure future for the peoples of the small, developing island nations. develop.

'The G20 generates 80% of global emissions. They are the most important group to ensure we are on the right track towards a 1.5°C future'.

He added that the G20 countries should agree to phase out coal consumption and stop subsidizing fossil fuels.

Ripple effect

At more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, many small islands will face flooding due to rising sea levels and intense storms, but Mr Browne said developed countries are also at risk. .

'Many countries in this group also have coastal areas,' he pointed out.

Bruce Billimon, Health Minister of the Marshall Islands, also shared: "The effects of climate change will not only be felt in countries like ours. I believe it will also create a ripple effect. , so for many years to come, all the countries in the G20 will be affected'.

At COP26, developing countries will have the opportunity to present these concerns to G20 leaders at a face-to-face meeting in Glasgow, he said.

Delegates wear masks in the common area of ​​the United Nations climate change conference COP26. (Photo: Reuters).

Many G20 officials feel that they have made significant progress during last week's summit in Rome.

The G20, which includes fossil fuel producers like Russia and Saudi Arabia, and the world's largest emitter, China, have agreed to act this decade on climate change. And according to Tom Burke, co-founder of climate change research organization E3G, this is a positive change.

'The key word in the recent statement was 'in this decade'. Previously they only talked about 2050, which is too far away,' he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised delegates to the COP26 Climate Summit with a commitment to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070. However, this timeline is slower. 2 decades ahead of expectations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 1 also called on developed countries to do more to help developing countries cope with climate change, but did not make a commitment to reduce emissions. .

According to Palau's Minister Victor, the new change shows that the G20 countries are also feeling a growing "urgency" .

This is a political signal that gives impetus to help reach agreements in the upcoming COP26 conference, Victor said.

"This decade is probably the defining decade in history. If we don't halve our emissions by 2030, the chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius with a future sustainable future will disappear , ' he emphasized.