India stressed that it has a right to responsible use of fossil fuels and that they are important for the welfare of its people. The other countries eventually reluctantly agreed to the proposed change, saying ‘a watered-down agreement is better than no agreement at all’.
There are also positive noises, although they remain paper tigers for the time being. The aim is still to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees, but the unambitious plans of the participating countries mean that a limit of no more than 2.4 degrees is feasible. Concrete measures will be postponed until next year. Moreover, rich countries again promised to give more money to developing countries to arm themselves against climate change and to make the switch to green energy. However, there will be no climate damage fund. But subsidies for fossil fuels will be reduced and agreements have been made on the trade in emission rights.
The chairman of the summit, British MP Alok Sharma, diplomatically described the results of COP26: “The ambition is alive, but its pulse is weak.”
Image: EQRoy/Shutterstock
