COP26 has ended, but we are not even close to the end of the fight against climate change. Climate researchers have been warning about the dire impacts of global warming for more than three decades. Despite that, carbon emissions are still increasing. For some island nations, COP26 represented one final opportunity for the governments of the world to craft a plan to meet the goals for curbing climate change.
While a growing number of countries have set net-zero targets, few have credible plans to meet them. And even if we meet existing targets, that would not be enough to achieve the 1.5℃ goal. With a rise of 1.1ºC to date, storms, heat waves and floods have become more frequent, intense and deadly, especially on islands.
What are some COP26 highlights for islands?
The new IRIS fund will support small island states to develop resilient, sustainable infrastructure, protecting lives and livelihoods.
The partnership will include a new renewable infrastructure finance facility for SIDS in the Caribbean, in addition to the Climate Finance Network launching in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
This is a package of available financing of 197 million Euros for the years 2021 to 2027. This will be implemented in the countries of the Pacific with a strong focus on climate change.
This additional €100 million contribution from the EU budget will benefit the most vulnerable populations in the Small Island Developing States.
COP26 is over. What happens next?
The draft text is the most important document emerged from COP26. It is not a new treaty, but a series of decisions and resolutions that build on the Paris Agreement. Those COP decisions have legal force in the context of the Paris Agreement, so this is a powerful document. But the pledges made at COP26 will be subject to self-policing, as there are no international enforcement mechanisms to ensure states meet these targets.
Decisions made at COP26 have created momentum and sparked cooperation to ultimately preserve our planet. But world leaders need to remain diligent and committed to meeting their targets and fulfilling their pledges.
Did you miss our special series Island Space @ COP26?
We are launching the COVID-19 Island Insights Series Final Report. The Report has brought together critical assessments of how islands around the world have performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and provided crucial insight into the extent to which their recovery plans have been able to promote long-term resilience and sustainability.
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