COP26 Nov. 10 highlights: China agreed with U.S. to boost climate cooperation, strengthen emission targets

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The latest at COP26:

• The “Route Zero” pledge falls well short of that and leaves much of the global market moving far slower toward zero-emission vehicles.
• Britain has proposed that countries raise their ambitions to slash greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2022 in a draft political decision that nations will negotiate over the next few days.
• Several countries and companies to stop selling cars that run on gasoline or diesel over the next two decades, as part of efforts to clamp down on a significant source of planet-warming emissions.

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Catch up on yesterday’s gender events here, and the analysis presented yesterday about how global greenhouse-gas emissions in 2030 will still be roughly twice as high as necessary to meet the Paris goal.

3:00 p.m. ET

Climate-vulnerable nations demand more financial support in COP26 draft deal

Vulnerable countries at the COP26 climate talks urged stronger commitments on finance to help them adapt to climate change impacts and repair the damage they are suffering, in response to an early draft deal for the Glasgow summit released Wednesday.

The two-week annual conference is due to finish on Friday but often runs overtime as countries squabble over wording and hammer out their differences on how to push forward lagging climate action.

Wednesday’s provisional texts urged countries to step up their targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2022, acknowledging that current pledges fall short of what is needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Aubrey Webson, U.N. ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, said the deal needed to be strengthened to help the most vulnerable, particularly with finance to adopt clean energy and cope with climate change impacts.

- Reuters

2:00 p.m. ET

China says agreed with U.S. to boost cooperation on climate change

China’s top climate negotiator on Wednesday said Beijing had agreed with the United States to boost cooperation on climate action, including by tackling emissions of methane.

Speaking through an interpreter, Xie Zhenhua told reporters at the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow that China would strengthen its emissions-cutting targets, and intended to develop a national plan on methane. He also said both countries wanted to do more to stop deforestation.

Xie said the United States and China, the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, had also reached agreement on Wednesday on a joint declaration, which would be released.

- Reuters

1:30 p.m. ET

Major U.S. airlines and Amazon join push to reduce aircraft emissions

Major U.S. airlines and Amazon.com’s aviation unit are joining an effort to speed development and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to decrease emissions in air transport.

The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) said Amazon Air, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, and United Airlines are joining the effort, which includes major corporate airline customers, to help drive greater SAF production, price cuts and technological advancements.

The Environmental Defense Fund and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) launched the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) in April with companies including Boeing, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, and Netflix to support increased market demand for SAFs.

- Reuters

12:45 p.m. ET

China and U.S. to make joint statement at COP26 climate summit

China and the United States, the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, will make a joint statement later today at the summit, a spokesperson for the Chinese delegation said.

The statement was expected at 1800 GMT on the “China-U.S. Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s,” the Chinese delegation said.

- Reuters

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11:00 a.m. ET

Efforts to cut car, plane and ship emissions get small boost

Several countries and companies announced plans Wednesday to stop selling cars that run on gasoline or diesel over the next two decades, as part of efforts to clamp down on a significant source of planet-warming emissions.

But the impact of the measures will likely be limited since several major emitters — notably the United States and China — did not sign on, and they received a mixed response from environmental campaigners. Nations and airlines also pledged to reduce emissions from air travel.

- AP

10:00 a.m. ET

Countries at COP26 launch plan for net-zero shipping lanes

A coalition of 19 countries including Britain and the United States on Wednesday agreed to create zero emissions shipping trade routes between ports to speed up the decarbonisation of the global maritime industry, officials involved said.

Shipping, which transports about 90% of world trade, accounts for nearly 3% of the world’s CO2 emissions.

U.N. shipping agency the International Maritime Organization has said it aims to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions from ships by 50% from 2008 levels by 2050. The goal is not aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change and the sector is under pressure to be more ambitious.

- Reuters

9:30 a.m. ET

‘Route Zero’ pledge to eliminate car emissions omits the biggest buyers and sellers

When the COP26 climate summit began last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had high hopes that countries would commit to ending the sale of gas-powered cars by 2030.

But a pledge announced at the summit Wednesday involving 24 countries, including Canada, falls well short of that goal and leaves much of the global market moving far slower toward zero-emission vehicles.

The “Route Zero” pledge commits signatories to ensuring that all new cars and vans sold in 2040 will be zero-emission vehicles – although “leading markets” such as Canada and the U.K. have vowed to reach that target by 2035.

In addition to the two dozen countries, 11 manufacturers, including Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, have signed on, as have 40 cities, states and provinces ranging from British Columbia and Quebec to New York City and Victoria.

Several companies that control fleets of vehicles, such as Uber, have also agreed to move toward 100-per-cent zero-emission vehicles by 2030 – or earlier “where markets allow.”

However, countries with major car markets such as the United States, China, Germany, Japan and Brazil did not sign the pledge. Also missing are the world’s two largest car makers – Volkswagen and Toyota – as well as the Renault-Nissan alliance and Hyundai-Kia. The pledge also only commits the 11 auto companies involved to reaching the zero-emission target “in leading markets” by 2035, which leaves the timeline open to interpretation.

- Paul Waldie

9:00 a.m. ET

COP26 views differ widely on how often to update climate pledges

There are widely differing views among nations at the COP26 climate summit on the right timeframe for revisiting national carbon emission-reducing pledges, Swiss environment minister Simonetta Sommaruga said on Wednesday.

“Views still differ widely of course as to what should be the preferred timeframe for NDCs to be applied from 2031 onwards,” she said.

She added that some nations wanted five-year cycles, others hoped for changes after every stocktake and a smaller group of countries wanted more flexibility and to do a 10-year cycle.

- Reuters

6:15 a.m. ET

Countries, cities, carmakers commit to end fossil-fuel vehicles by 2040

A group of countries, companies and cities committed on Wednesday to phasing out fossil-fuel vehicles by 2040, as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions and curb global warming.

But the world’s top two carmakers, Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG, as well as major car markets China, the United States and Germany, did not sign up, highlighting the challenges in shifting to zero emissions.

The Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans, unveiled at climate talks in the Scottish city, sees the groups pledge to “rapidly” accelerate the transition to low-carbon emission vehicles, aiming to green leading markets by 2035.

Headline signatories included Ford and General Motors , the world’s second-most populous country India and major corporate purchasers of vehicles including Leaseplan, which rents 1.7 million cars in 30 countries.

- Reuters

4:00 a.m. ET

COP26 draft deal calls for stronger carbon cutting targets by end of 2022

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged that COP26 may not result in an agreement that will limit global warming to 1.5 C above preindustrial levels, a target scientists have said is crucial to avoiding the devastating impact of climate change.

“I think it’s in the balance,” Mr. Johnson said Wednesday in Glasgow when asked about the prospects of a deal. He added that after an initial surge of momentum in the talks, “We’re now finding things are tough. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

The Prime Minister called on world leaders “not to sit on your hands,” and he said people around the world will find it “absolutely incomprehensible” if an agreement isn’t reached.

“Here in Glasgow the world is closer than it’s ever been to signalling the beginning of the end of anthropogenic climate change,” he said. “Will you help us grasp that opportunity or will you stand in the way?”

- Paul Waldie

3:00 a.m. ET

Volvo sets carbon price to assess sustainability of new projects

Swedish automaker Volvo said on Wednesday it had set a price on carbon emissions from its operations of 1,000 Swedish crowns ($116.30) a tonne, part of attempts to ensure all future projects are sustainable.

Announcing the move at global climate talks in Scotland as it joined an imitative to phase out fossil fuel cars and vans, the company said it had deliberately set a relatively high price to “future proof” itself.

Negotiators at the COP26 talks are trying to finish rules to create an international carbon market. Put simply, it would allow some countries to pay others to cut emissions - with the aim of pushing much-needed cash into green projects around the world.

Volvo said it was the first automaker to set such a price across its whole operations, as part of its aim to be a climate neutral company by 2040. The price is double the current cost of carbon in the European Union’s carbon trading scheme.

- Reuters

More reading

• Trudeau reaffirms pledge to impose GHG emissions caps on Canada’s oil and gas industry
• At COP26, Canada joins more than 100 nations in pledge to end deforestation by 2030
• COP26 is a circus with a purpose: Putting climate change in the spotlight so no country can ignore it
• Explainer: A guide to the world’s most consequential environment conference
• Glossary: key concepts for the Glasgow climate conference

Opinion and analysis

• Andrew Coyne: How much we cut carbon emissions is less important than how we do so
• Adam Radwanski: Canada’s global-carbon-price pitch at COP26 is an uphill battle
• Campbell Clark: After COP26 climate conference, the carbon trade war will inch closer
• Editorial board: The global warming alarm clock is ringing. Wake up
• Gary Mason: Steven Guilbeault is the right environment minister for our times

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