The UN Climate Summit, due to be held in the Scottish city of Glasgow next November, is postponed for one year. The health crisis that runs through the planet has caused the cancellation of a crucial event for the future of the Earth, in which the States had to revise upwards their commitments to combat climate change and define additional contributions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. greenhouse. Under the name COP26, this event has a special significance to complete the development of the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, which established commitments so that the increase in the average temperature of the planet does not exceed two degrees at the end of the century with respect to levels pre-industrial and, as far as possible, be below 1.5. In order to meet these goals, it is essential to review the plans of each country and present more radical contributions to move closer, as far as possible, to the most ambitious objective, which is to achieve climate neutrality (zero emissions) by 2050.
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Disappointment
After the eventful process by which last year's Chilean summit was finally held in Madrid, COP25 made very little progress. The most far-reaching issue was the proposal to raise the bar for climate action plans set five years ago, and the final failure pinned all hopes on the Glasgow summit. The postponement of COP26, now agreed by the United Nations and the United Kingdom Government, coincides with the drastic measures adopted in half the world to contain the coronavirus epidemic. The paralysis of industrial activity and the sharp reduction in traffic have radically cut polluting emissions.
This is a conjunctural situation that will revert to the rhythm and as normality recovers and daily life resumes its pulse. At that time, it must be remembered that structural decisions are still essential for emissions to fall without the need to paralyze the economy.
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