Govts need to understand future of planet will be determined at COP: Alok Sharma

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change flagged last week that the planet has a very short window to prevent catastrophic climate change. The United Nations Climate Change conference (COP 26) in November will determine how the world responds to IPCC’s findings. United Kingdom’s climate chief and COP 26 President, Alok Sharma will be in India this week to meet ministers on India’s strategy and nudge India to commit to a net zero emissions target by mid-century at COP 26. India has time and again said it’s a growing economy with per capita emissions that are minuscule compared to the global average and that the developed world never delivered on promised financial support to developing countries. In an interview to HT ahead of his visit, Sharma said a delivery plan for the 100 billion dollars per year fund to developing countries will be laid out before COP 26 to help win trust of countries like India but he needs all countries to have a net zero plan to keep the 1.5 degree C goal of Paris Agreement alive. He believes the door to meet a 1.5-degree C goal is still ajar.