At the United Nations Climate Summit (COP26) to be held in Glasgow in November 2021, reaching a consensus on national carbon reduction policies is the main goal of this meeting. However, energy policies, economic trade, and politics and other factors of each country will also affect each leaders’ commitment at the meeting. On the opening day, a number of speeches by representatives of island countries affected by the climate were arranged, and it was hoped that through these people who were actually affected, the participants could gain a deeper understanding. While the meeting focused on the following four main directions of the agreement, countries were willing to make tougher compromises on climate action.

The key directions of COP26

• Mitigation

According to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) proposed by participating countries, they hope to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, in order to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement – limiting temperature rise to 1.5ºC. Although the final coal agreement has changed from the phase-out to the gradual reduction, this is also the first time that countries have signed an agreement on coal. For more information, please refer to COP26 Reaching the First World Coal-burning Agreement.

• Adaptation & Loss and Damage

By protecting and even restoring natural habitats and settlements, we provide financial assistance to countries severely affected by climate change, and develop adaptation policies for countries which are affected by climate change.

• Finance

Fund allocation is the focus of this international conference. At COP15 meeting in 2009, developed countries pledged $100 billion a year to help developing countries to survive the transition period of energy transition by 2020. However, statistics in 2019 provide only $79.6 billion in climate funding, the chairman of the conference, Alok Sharma, invited Canada and Germany to commit to $100 billion in climate funding by 2023 and to increase climate funding year by year. These climate funds not only help countries which are severely affected by climate change, but also help developing countries become more willing to use clean energy, providing a major boost to the energy transition.

• Collaboration

Carbon markets will find the solution if cooperation between countries or between governments and the private sector can achieve NDCs towards Net Zero.

During this COP26 meeting, Commonwealth Magazine, Delta Electronic Culture and Education Foundation, Taiwan Youth Climate Alliance and other units also conducted live on-site meetings and comments. In addition to national leaders and government decision makers, it is easier for us to understand what the Climate Summit is about, and let’s think about ways we can take an active part in climate action, starting with an awareness of net-zero policies and making environmental costs more ingrained in everyone’s minds.

How to do your best?
1. Pay attention to the development of Taiwanese companies joining RE100
RE100 is a global renewable energy initiative jointly launched by The Climate Group (TCG) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in 2014, inviting global companies to publicly commit to the goal of using 100% renewable energy.
At present, more than 300 companies have joined the membership, and there are 13 members in the Taiwan headquarters. Through RE100, you can not only learn about the green power policies of Taiwanese or international companies, but also the renewable energy of member companies through the Taiwan Green Power Market Report. The main goal of the green electricity market, is to move towards 100% green electricity by 2050.
2. 2050 net zero emissions related policies

At present, Taiwan’s carbon control measures and low-carbon to net-zero strategy are mainly state-owned enterprises (Taipower, CPC, Sinosteel). Detailed relevant information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Taiwanese government publishes a GHG emissions inventory report every three years.Actively track the current total greenhouse gas emissions are available, and also be available to keep an eye on whether the emissions have decreased.
3. Actively understand climate-related issues
The “”Taiwan Climate Change Estimation Information and Adaptation Knowledge Platform Project”” (TCCIP) established by the Ministry of Science and Technology not only provides climate data, but also many popular science news, and even provides the Chinese version of the final draft of the sixth assessment report on climate change on August 9, 2021 to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).”

The discussion at this conference revolves around limiting temperature rise to 1.5ºC, but will it really work?

According to the NDC estimates proposed by various countries at the COP26 meeting at this stage, the world will still emit 41.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2030, so the temperature will rise by about 2.4ºC (the blue column in the middle of the figure), which is 1.5ºC away from the target temperature and it still exceeded 15.3 billion tons. Therefore, NDCs are more likely to be revised to the right only if countries stick to their commitments, as COP26 President Alok Sharma said:
“Unless we honour the promises made, to turn the commitments in the Glasgow Climate Pact into action, they will wither on the vine”
Speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in January this year, Alok Sharma invited the world to continue to focus on climate issues and reiterated his call for public attention to the NDC and the importance of climate funding, and let’s watch together:

Finally, [COP27] will be held in Egypt from November 7th to 18th, 2022, so stay tuned with Azure Alliance!

Azure Allicance Team would like to thank the sponsorship of #E-ONE MOLI ENERGY CORP. to reduce the carbon emissions of Azure Fighter and clean the ocean with clean energy.
Written BY：陳韋廷
References：
COP26目標
COP26：氣候變化、淨零排放目標和達到目標的七條路
趙家緯／格拉斯哥氣候峰會紀事：COP26對台灣帶來什麼啟示？
From words to deeds: What next for climate action?
COP26: New global climate deal struck in Glasgow
Mr Sharma’s speech at Chatham House as we build on the success and commitments made in Glasgow