Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan has said the agreement struck in Glasgow at COP26 “keeps alive the ambition of restricting global temperature rise to 1.5°”.
He said the consensus between the 197 countries was that “while the deal was not perfect, it struck a necessary balance between increasing climate ambition and supporting climate justice for the developing world”.
Minister Ryan led the Irish delegation at the 26th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which concluded in Glasgow Saturday.
He said that the deal reached in Glasgow means that the goals of the Paris Agreement can still be met. Some of the actions at COP26 include:
- An ambitious work programme to cut emissions this decade, and to keep global average temperature rise below 1.5°;
- Countries urged to announce revised 2030 commitments next year;
- Renewed commitment to increase climate finance to achieve the €100bn goal per annum, and a doubling of adaptation finance to support developing countries;
- Closing out the outstanding matters of the Paris Rulebook, including agreeing a new carbon market mechanism (Article 6);
- New provisions to address fossil fuel subsidies and unabated coal, which however do not go as far as a phase-out;
- Establishing the ‘Santiago Network’ to provide technical assistance to support developing countries on loss and damage caused through climate change;
- Providing for a future dialogue to discuss funding arrangements to avert, minimise and address loss and damage.
Speaking from Glasgow, Minister Ryan said:
“What the world has done is to keep 1.5 alive, recommitting to keep the global temperature increase at a level that is liveable for humanity.
“We can only do that by delivering, including keeping our promises in Ireland to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half this decade and to reach net zero by 2050.
“However, it is deeply disappointing that the proposal to phase out unabated coal and inefficent fossil fuel subsidies has been watered down as part of the compromise needed to agree a deal.
“We also have to deliver on climate justice by seriously addressing loss and damage in countries worst affected – something Ireland is working to progress. Glasgow has injected fresh momentum in the fight against climate change.
“We now have to go home and prove it will result in real action that protects people and the planet, and provide a just transition and a better economy for all.”
Minister Ryan, who participated in the EU’s negotiating team on the issues of transparency and climate finance during the final week, also committed a further €5 million to help countries to cope with climate-related loss and damage.
During the COP26 process Ireland also signed up to a number of other international agreements and commitments. These included:
- Committing at least €10m (through the Adaptation Fund Contributor Dialogue), between now and the end of 2022 for the Climate Adaption Fund;
- Joining the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), to lead the transition away from global oil and gas production;
- Participating in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Ministerial, to accelerate action to reduce short‐lived climate pollutants.
Minister Ryan also launched a new National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) from COP26. This event saw the announcement of €60 million from the Climate Action Fund to be invested in community climate action projects and initiatives over the next three years.