Friends call for progress on COP26 pledges
Concern that international developments since COP26 have diverted attention from climate commitments
Quakers have joined faith communities across Scotland in asking Alok Sharma, COP26 president, to discuss progress made since the COP26 in Glasgow.
The joint letter calls on Alok Sharma ‘to ensure that the COP26 commitments are put into effect and that climate justice and real energy security are available to all’.
Faith leaders, including Elizabeth Allen, clerk of General Meeting, Quakers in Scotland, are concerned that international developments since COP26 have diverted attention from the commitments made to prevent global temperatures increasing by more than 1.5°C.
The letter, signed by Catholics, Episcopalians, Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and more, calls on Alok Sharma to ensure an end to new oil and gas exploration. It also presses for action to build sustainable economies powered by renewable energy and that no one lives in fuel poverty.
The letter comes two months after a gathering of more than forty countries in Copenhagen in May to discuss progress since the COP26 climate summit.
Speaking at the event, Sebastian Mernild, the University of Southern Denmark glaciologist, reminded ministers that emissions are still growing and their goal of holding temperature rises to 1.5°C needs nothing less than ‘rapid, deep and sustained’ emissions cuts.
As part of the ‘Glasgow Pact’ which emerged from COP26, 196 countries promised to ‘revisit and strengthen’ their plans for curbing emissions. However, according to the New Scientist in May, sources close to those involved in the UN climate talks said that there is little sign of this happening before the next talks in November.
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