Why Climate Summits Like COP26 Still Need to Happen

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David Attenborough pictured speaking at the COP26 summit.

So, how much time is left to save our planet really? Is there an actual tipping point to our planet? Whether you call it global warming, Anthropocene or climate crisis, humans are not programmed for long-term, slow crises.

We just know how to think (and/or run) real fast when chased by an angry grizzly bear, but climate change is coming at humans from a deadly angle.

One of the basic things that plays essential role in survival of all sorts of living beings is biodiversity. Because of biodiversity of our planet, we all are able to co-exist together.

All variety of plants and animals are able to exist together to due to diversity of life. Negative human forces can disrupt the biodiversity which can result in loss of biodiversity. So, we need to take ample steps to prevent the damage to biodiversity.

 

 

 

 

 

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The UK hosted the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 13 November 2021. The COP26 summit brought parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

COP26 was the moment countries revisited climate pledges made under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Countries around the world have been submitting their pledges to the UN, setting out how far they intend to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. These promises, known as “intended nationally determined contributions,” or INDCs, will determine the success of the deal that the UN hopes to sign off in Paris. President Trump said he would pull the US out of the Paris Agreement and not meet the pledge it had made.

After the COP26 summit, It was agreed that the proportion of climate finance for adapting to the loss inflicted by climate change would be doubled by 2025. Most crucially, a consensus was reached that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees was the true goal of the UNFCCC process.

According to the National Geographic, Countries should double their protected zones to 30 percent of the Earth’s land area, and add 20 percent more as climate stabilization areas, for a total of 50 percent of all land kept in a natural state, scientists conclude.

All of this needs to be done by 2030 to have a real hope of keeping climate change under the “danger zone” target of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) and to prevent the world’s ecosystems from unravelling—according to an ambitious plan called the Global Deal for Nature.

Here’s what’s at stake if we don’t act now:

Heat waves will become more frequent and severe around the world, affecting hundreds of millions—or even billions—of people if we don’t act.

Global warming increases the risk of more frequent—and heavier—rainfall, snowfall, and other precipitation. And as that risk increases, so too does the risk of flooding.

As the earth continues to warm, crucial habitats may no longer be hospitable for certain animals or plants. This puts a variety of species at risk, depending on whether they can adapt or move.

But the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth and ice-free summers could become a reality. Rising sea levels could impact 1 billion people by the year 2050. Changes in water temperature causes algae to leave coral reefs, turning them white and making them vulnerable to disease and death—a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

Despite their limitations, summits and world conferences can give grantees an important opportunity to contribute ideas to governments and international agencies, and to link with counterparts and kindred movements around the globe. Grant making in connection with summits can offer short- term benefits to participants and longer-term impacts on policy.