The UK officially unveiled on Thursday evening (3 December) a target to reduce emissions by 68% by 2030 compared to 1990. The target will act as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, which sets out the necessary domestic measures that each country must take to contribute to the implementation of the global agreement. The Paris Agreement provides a sustainable framework that guides global efforts for decades to come. The aim is to increase countries` climate ambitions over time. To this end, the agreement provides for two review processes, each to be carried out in a five-year cycle. To get back on track, countries need to set more ambitious short-term targets to reduce their emissions. They must also work harder to keep their promises. Scientists say we need a 45% reduction in emissions over the next 10 years to stay below that 1.5°C limit. The agreement recognises the role of non-party stakeholders in the fight against climate change, including cities, other sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and others.

The agreement contains commitments from all countries to reduce their emissions and work together to adapt to the effects of climate change and calls on countries to strengthen their commitments over time. The agreement provides a way for developed countries to assist developing countries in their mitigation and adaptation efforts, while providing a framework for transparent monitoring and reporting on countries` climate goals. It will also enable the parties to progressively strengthen their contributions to the fight against climate change in order to achieve the long-term objectives of the agreement. Yes, these talks are part of the proper functioning of the Paris Agreement. During the COP26 climate negotiations, countries will discuss their overall progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and negotiate a way forward. The Paris Agreement is the first universal and legally binding global climate agreement adopted at the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) in December 2015. These are long-term goals, so it`s important to know if they`re doing enough to get themselves on the right track. Everyone has a role to play in the fight against climate change, and it is important to bring businesses and the public with them to achieve the UK`s climate change goals. In the run-up to COP26, the government has launched the Together for Our Planet campaign, which calls on businesses, civil society groups, schools and the UK public to take action on climate change.

The UK-wide initiative reached an important milestone last month, which was to receive commitments from a third of the UK`s largest companies to eliminate their contribution to climate change by 2050. A recent study deciphered the numbers of commitments and commitments over the past 10 years and found that the goals of the Paris Agreement are « within reach. » But reaching them will not be easy. The United States left the deal under Donald Trump, but joined the deal in early 2021 when President Joe Biden took office. As a contribution to the objectives of the agreement, countries have submitted comprehensive national climate protection plans (nationally defined contributions, NDCs). These are not yet sufficient to meet the agreed temperature targets, but the agreement points the way for further action. So far, the picture has been mixed, and some countries are doing much more than others. But if each country simply stuck to its current climate policies, the world wouldn`t even meet its existing goals. And as we have just learned, even these goals are still far too low. The UK`s initial NDC was a 53% reduction by 2030 and was touted as part of the European Union and aimed to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050, rather than the new net-zero target that has since been enshrined in law. As host of COP26, the UK government is leading by example by setting this ambitious target. The company is ready to provide the latest low-carbon technologies and innovations that reduce emissions every year. By tackling this problem together, we can reap the benefits of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

This precedes Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s speech at the opening session of President Biden`s Climate Leaders` Summit on Earth Day (April 22). The Prime Minister will call on countries to redouble their ambitions in the fight against climate change and join the UK in setting ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 2030 to net-zero emissions. In November 2021, the UK will host the 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow. The summit will bring together signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for formal negotiations, informal consultations and technical briefings. This extremely positive step forward for the UK sets a golden standard for ambitious, Paris-focused action that I call on others to keep pace ahead of COP26 in Glasgow later this year. Together, we must keep 1.5 degrees of warming at hand, and the next decade is the most critical time for us to change the dangerous trajectory we are currently on. .