Cop26 deal promises more action but 1.5°C target still looks out of reach
Agreements on coal, methane and deforestation are overshadowed by estimate that the world is on track for 2.4°C of warming by the end of the century
Countries have been asked to set more ambitious emissions reduction targets by next year’s climate talks, after pledges made at Cop26 in Glasgow fell short of action needed to limit warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century.
Many countries submitted plans for larger emissions cuts, but Climate Action Tracker, which provides an independent scientific analysis of governments’ climate actions, estimates that even if implemented the new targets leave the world on track for an average temperature rise of 2.4°C. Kenya’s environment minister, Keriako Tobiko, told the summit that major emitters must align their commitments with 1.5°C. For Africa ‘1.5°C is not a statistic – it is a matter of life and death’, Tobiko said.