Climate: despite Australia’s “heroism”, Boris Johnson anticipates a COP26 fiasco – archyworldys

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The COP26 is likely to go very badly, now anticipates Boris Johnson.

“I am very worried, because it can go wrong (…) It is possible that we do not have the agreements that we need,” Boris Johnson said Monday during a question-and-answer session. with schoolchildren in Downing Street, where he discussed thehe climate change which knows no respite with the rapid rise in water levels in the Netherlands, the record concentration of greenhouse gases..

In fact, it was on Monday that the UN announced the bad news: despite the global respite from production and polluting emissions imposed by the Covid pandemic, the concentrations in the atmosphere of the three main greenhouse gases, warming factor, reached record levels last year.

But he is not the only one to worry around the world about the outcome of this world summit to save the climate which this year is taking place in Glasgow under the aegis of the United Kingdom.

COP26, “a one-way ticket to disaster”

Last week, the president of COP26 himself, Briton Alok Sharma, estimated that it would be “more difficult” to get an agreement in Glasgow than in Paris in 2015.

For his part, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was frankly pessimistic, judging that the current commitments of States were “a one-way ticket to disaster”.

In fact, many are anticipating the absence of Chinese Xi Jinping, not just for health reasons.

Climate: one week before COP26, the position of China and the United States remains illegible

In this context, although described as “heroic” by Boris Johnson (quoted by the Scottish newspaper “The National”), Australia’s announcement, which pretends to align itself with the objectives of the European Union, risks adding to the discouragement.

Australia claims to align with EU but clings to coal

This country, the world’s largest exporter of coal and widely considered to be lagging behind in terms of the climate, announced on Tuesday that it was now aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050, de facto aligning itself with the objectives that have been imposed the European Union.

“Australians want a 2050 net zero emissions plan that takes action on climate change and secures their future in a changing world,” Tory Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

Unfortunately, these are distant objectives, very distant, which are not supported by a binding roadmap, a framework marked out by stages which would commit the country to the international community.

Australia’s refusal to strengthen 2030 targets

Thus, barely five days before the start of COP26, the Australian government has refused to reinforce the emission reduction targets for 2030, which are nevertheless considered crucial to significantly combat climate change.

Because Australia wants at all costs to keep its mines open.

“We want our heavy industries, like the mining industry, to remain open, competitive and adapt, so that they remain viable as long as global demand allows,” he wrote in a text published by his office.

However, Australia, a large part of its electricity production based on coal, has not reneged on its carbon neutrality commitments that it took so long to make: it had agreed to reduce its carbon emissions. greenhouse gases by 26% to 28% by 2030 from 2005 levels, and Scott Morrison even claims it will “meet and beat” them.

[Le Premier ministre Scott Morrison s’adresse aux médias lors de sa conférence de presse au Parlement à Canberra, le mardi 26 octobre 2021 sur la nouvelle stratégie zéro carbone de l’Australie. Crédit Reuters]

Tense negotiations with climate skeptics and pro-coal

However, to justify his refusal to improve his climate objectives on the eve of COP26, Scott Morrison advances the argument of commitment to voters.

“We won’t be lectured by others who don’t understand Australia. The Australian way is about how you do things, not whether you’re going to do them. It’s about getting there. “, he wrote.

He added:

But “neither will we break the commitment we made in the last election by changing our emission reduction targets for 2030.”

This decision is the result of weeks of tense negotiations between the various partners within the government coalition for a long time. dominated by climate skeptics and pro-coal interests. But nothing has filtered out the concessions made, and the announced plan has not been detailed. Undoubtedly, the Australian Prime Minister reserves the content for the COP26 in Glasgow.

“In Glasgow, I will confirm that Australia will continue to play its part.”

In his speech published on his Linkedin account, the Australian Prime Minister however gives some details on his intentions:

“We will set ourselves a goal to reach net zero by 2050 and we will have a clear plan to achieve it. I have always said that I will not set myself a goal to reach net zero by 2050 unless we have a plan to achieve it. We now have that plan. “

He added:

“We’ll do it the Australian way. Through technology, not taxes. (…) The key to this approach is investing in new energy technologies, like low cost hydrogen and solar power. , to ensure that our manufacturing, resource, agriculture and transportation sectors can secure their future, especially in rural and regional areas. “

Faced with recurring criticism, Australia wants to improve its image

Canberra has come under increasing criticism for failing to act sooner, including from close allies the United States and Britain, as well as its Pacific island neighbors, who are highly vulnerable to the effects. of climate change.

After wildfires, Australia tears itself between reducing emissions and preserving jobs

This commitment for 2050 comes just days before Scott Morrison leaves for the UN climate summit COP26, which next Sunday in Glasgow.

(with AFP)