COP26 Deserves A Guarded Welcome

As COP26 reached a deal in Glasgow, Oxfam Ireland has given a guarded welcome to an agreement that does not go far enough to avert the risks and injustices of climate change.

According to the charity, while there has been incremental progress in several policy areas, this compromise agreement does not contain the urgent measures required for the planetary and humanitarian emergency we face.

The charity is calling on all nation states to turn the focus of action to national levels, in order to hold to global heating to 1.5 degree Celsius.

Focus must also turn to real measures of international solidarity in order to redress the global injustices of climate change.

Commenting on the deal agreed in Glasgow, Simon Murtagh, Senior Policy and Research Coordinator for Oxfam Ireland said: “At every level, COP26 did not deliver the goals we sought urgent action on.

“The process couldn’t deliver for small island states facing immediate destruction. Nor could it deliver for two million Kenyans currently left destitute by the effects of climate change, nor for millions more in Yemen, Madagascar or central America, who face hunger and destitution caused by climate change.

“At COP26, developing countries and small island states strongly made their voices heard, demanding justice and accountability in historic terms.

“Their words and actions did make a difference and improved the outcome of the conference on a number of levels, politically as well as technically.

“The results were a better wording to restrict global warming to 1.5C, a fairer balance of mitigation and adaptation policies, vital to the developing world, but a failure to move forward on the crucial issue of Loss and Damage.”

Jim Clarken, CEO of Oxfam Ireland added: “It is possible to see green shoots of progress in the agreement from COP26.

“The agreement to double the level of climate finance allocated to adaptation measures, vital to the developing world, represents real progress, as does the mention of fossil fuels and coal as the drivers of global warming that must be phased out.

“We understand that the improved measures in climate finance were supported by Ireland and by the EU.

“It is now left to us, and to all nations at COP26, to return home and drive emissions down through policies agreed by all social partners, government and citizens.

“For our part in Ireland, we must reach the 7% average reduction per year in Green House Gases (GHGs), set out in the Programme for Government, sooner rather than later.

“We owe it to our children, and to the people of the world facing the deadly effects of climate change right now, to make an urgent, just transition.

“In all our ways of living and working, we must act now to create a fairer, more sustainable world following COP26.” 

ENDS

Contact: Darragh McGirr, Alice PR & Events, media@alicepr.com, 086-2599369