Category: Environment

The speech made by Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on 23 November 2020.

It’s a pleasure to open the UNFCCC Climate Change Dialogues today, alongside my fellow Presiding Officers, Carolina, Marianne and Tosi. As well of course as the UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, and the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa.

I thank them for their work in organising this event.

2020 has been a hugely challenging year for everyone.

And when I spoke at the June Momentum, I said climate action could not be postponed.

And as incoming COP President, I’m fully committed to working with my fellow Presiding Officers, parties, and stakeholders to keep driving ambition and action on climate change.

This remains the case today.

The urgency of the climate crisis demands nothing less.

That is why all of us on this panel have arranged a series of events to maintain momentum.

To advance the multilateral process.

And to drive real-world change.

Earlier this month, our High-Level Champions Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Muñoz held the Race to Zero Dialogues.

To build support for decarbonisation amongst cities, amongst regions, amongst businesses.

And today, we are opening the Climate Change Dialogues.

We want to make progress on vital negotiating issues.

On 12 December, we have the Climate Ambition Summit 2020.

This is co-hosted by the UK COP26 Presidency, the UN and France, in partnership with Chile and Italy.

And this Summit will provide a platform for leaders to come forward with announcements under the three pillars of the Paris Agreement: mitigation; adaptation; and support.

Specifically, we are calling for:

New, more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions;

Long-Term Strategies setting out a pathway to net zero emissions;

Climate finance commitments to support the most vulnerable;

And crucially, ambitious adaptation plans and underlying policies.

Ahead of COP26, we as Presiding Officers will host more discussions to build on the progress made at these Dialogues.

So that we are in the best possible position to unleash the full potential of the Paris Agreement when we meet in Glasgow next year.

As you know, we are committed to working with all of you to agree a comprehensive, negotiated outcome that leaves no issue behind.

And we absolutely recognise – as we have always done – that if we are to succeed, parties must lead the process.

And non-state actors must be involved. Particularly those whose voices are often marginalised.

That is why we have consulted with all negotiating groups ahead of these Dialogues.

It is why they have been designed them to suit multiple time zones.

And why observers are heavily involved.

Proceedings will be broadcast around the world.

And their format balances concerns about negotiating virtually with the need to keep these conversations going, which is of course so vital.

These Dialogues can help to put us in the best position to negotiate in Bonn, and the of course in Glasgow.

We will use the Dialogues to fulfil vital mandates.

To improve our understanding of each party’s position and the issues that need to be resolved.

And to help us to identify what can be done during next year to help secure a comprehensive agreement at COP26.

The UK has worked closely with Chile, the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies, and the Secretariat to design the events for the next fortnight.

The Presidencies are convening events on finance, adaptation, loss and damage, NDC preparation and gender, alongside the Open Dialogue and the Pre-2020 Roundtable.

And we will continue to work together, with all parties and stakeholders, over the next twelve months.

So that next year, when the world comes together and meets in Glasgow, we can fulfil the full potential of the Paris Agreement.

The speech made by Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on 19 November 2020.

It is a pleasure to join you today.

And to participate in the opening of Mock COP.

I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to deliver this event.

And I applaud your dedication and commitment to tackling climate change.

Across the world, young people are leading the charge on climate action.

We see this, in projects like the Resilient40.

Which is amplifying the voices of over 60 youth leaders, from 29 African countries in vital climate change discussions.

Or indeed the Resolution Project, which supports student entrepreneurs with over 300 social ventures in more than 80 countries.

From recycling solutions in Ethiopia.

To water management in Brazil.

And household biogas generation in Nepal.

Young people are on the frontline of global climate action.

And this is absolutely vital.

For the future of our planet.

And for the success of COP26 next November.

The gravity and urgency of the situation we face demands that COP26 marks the moment

when the world unites together behind a fair, resilient and zero emissions future.

And that means governments committing to ambitious emission reduction targets, and adaptation plans.

It means donor countries living up to their obligations.

And fulfilling the commitments that they have made to the global South to put $100 billion a year into international climate finance.

And it means listening to diverse voices in the negotiations.

So that we are ensuring the interests of young people, as well as Civil Society as a whole, are heard loud and clear.

From both the global South and North.

To achieve this, I have been clear that we want civil society groups to be at the heart of both our preparations for COP, and the summit itself.

That is why I met with young people and civil society organisations on a visit to the UN in New York earlier in the year.

And I commit to meeting groups which comprise young people and civil society in every country that I visit going forward.

It is also why we have established the COP26 Civil Society and Youth advisory council.

Where young activists, NGOs, indigenous peoples and faith groups are very much part of our conversations in planning COP26.

We are also supporting our COP partners, Italy.

Both in their preparations for the Pre-COP and of course the Youth Event next September.

And in the launch of their Youth4Climate series.

Helping to support and amplify the work of young climate activists.

Because such activism plays a really vital role.

Although the commitments required in the Paris Agreement need to be made by national governments, success will belong to each and every one of us.

Reaching net zero will only be achieved through a joint effort.

And for this civil society is absolutely vital.

You are vital in pushing all of us to go further: governments and regions; businesses and cities; schools and universities.

By raising awareness, generating support, and asking us to do more.

That is one of the great benefits of this Mock COP.

It will show governments and organisations around the world the appetite that exists for ambitious climate action from young people.

So I will finish with this ask: keep up that momentum.

Keep showing us what is possible.

And keep advocating for climate action in your home countries.

Because if you do, the job of negotiators, who are urging countries around the world to make more ambitious commitments, becomes much easier.

As does the work of the Race to Zero campaign.

Which is encouraging non-state actors, such as businesses, cities, regions and universities around the world to commit to net zero as soon as possible.

And if we work together in this way, I believe COP26 will mark the moment when the potential of the Paris Agreement is fulfilled.

Thank you.

The comments made by Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on 12 November 2020.

Good afternoon, it’s a pleasure to speak to you today.

Governments and businesses around the world are continuing to respond to the immediate and acute challenges posed by the covid pandemic.

But we know that the climate crisis has not taken any time off.

We must ensure that the global recovery delivers a greener, more inclusive and more resilient future for all our peoples.

One that delivers on the commitments of the Paris Agreement and meets the Sustainable Development Goals.

I would like to congratulate President Macron and Secretary-General Guterres for their leadership in holding this event.

The first ever global summit of public development banks.

Finance has a pivotal role in tackling climate change.

The IPCC estimate that limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees would require global energy investments of around $3.5 trillion a year until 2050.

And public finance has a crucial role to play in stimulating private investment.

Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a plan to double UK climate finance to £11.6bn over the period 2021-2025.

And we call on others to match that ambition.

The OECD has estimated that climate finance from developed countries reached 79 billion dollars in 2018, up 10 percent from the year before.

And that bilateral and multilateral public finance has increased by 64 percent since 2013.

This shows progress, but there is much further to go.

Donors must meet and surpass the goal of mobilising $100 billion a year.

And our COP26 Presidency will focus on working with others to mobilise funds and improve access for adaptation and resilience.

Before COP26, we need to see all public development banks coming forward with clear plans.

Including target dates by which their operations will be fully aligned with the Paris Agreement.

The Finance in Common Summit Declaration will point the way forward for our work.

Focusing on the green recovery and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

And on 12 December, the UK, the UN and France will co-host a Climate Ambition Summit, in partnership with Chile and Italy. And I invite leaders to use this as an opportunity to announce new commitments under the three pillars of the Paris Agreement; mitigation, adaptation and support.

Working together, we can deliver the greener, more inclusive, more resilient future that we all want to see.

Thank you.