COP26 verdict is governments urgently need to do more

15 Nov 2021 01:28 PM

EXPERT COMMENT

Chatham House experts’ immediate reaction to COP26 is that not enough is being done to prevent catastrophic climate impacts being locked in by 2030.

Overall verdict is not enough done

Professor Tim Benton

Not enough has been done at this meeting to reduce emissions consistent with avoiding dangerous climate change in decades to come.

There have been lots of pledges and the launching of encouraging new international initiatives, some more meaningful than others. But genuine urgency and a willingness to match words with action and to close the yawning gap between pledges and detailed, short-term plans is still missing.

Governments need to move forward from this summit with renewed determination to cooperate, urgently build on what’s been agreed here, and strengthen their nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) in the next year, while providing the finance that poor countries and vulnerable populations need.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.