Tag: Alok Sharma

The comments made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President-Designate, on 4 May 2021.

The UK and India share a longstanding partnership and I am greatly encouraged by the steps we have taken today to bolster our joint efforts on tackling climate change.

If the world is to become net zero by the middle of the century and keep 1.5 degrees in reach, everyone must raise their ambition within this decade and work together to make real change for a cleaner, greener planet.

I am proud of the close collaboration on this crucial issue which our two countries have forged, especially during this very difficult time for India as it battles with COVID.

The comments made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 4 May 2021.

Good afternoon. And thank you to everyone for joining this event, and to our German friends for co-hosting it.

It is a real pleasure to help to launch this water sector initiative today.

For too long, adaptation has been the poor cousin of mitigation.

And – I can tell you – adaptation is very much a top priority for the UK’s COP26 Presidency.

That is why the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, launched the Adaption Action Coalition earlier this year, with our friends in Egypt, Bangladesh, Malawi, Netherlands and St Lucia.

And I am very pleased so many members are with us at this event to share their experiences.

The AAC builds on the Call to Action I launched with partners when I was UK Secretary of State for International Development, in 2019.

It’s about converting the political ambition into action.

So it is fantastic to see the AAC going strong, with this first event today. And, of course, its first international collaboration: the water tracker.

We all know that, even if we reached net zero today, the world would still need to deal with significant climate shocks and disruption.

And too often, water is a casualty.

Whether through droughts, floods, or sea level rises, extreme weather events make it harder for communities to access clean water.

This impacts health, it impacts livelihoods, food production and more. And ultimately threatens economic growth.

But the very fact that water is so fundamental to life means responsibility is split between many different areas of individual governments.

Policies can suffer from a lack of integration, and are harder to fund as a result.

The tracker the Adaptation Action Coalition is launching today seeks to tackle those problems.

And look at how water can be integrated across countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, and national climate plans, creating detailed, consistent plans to help attract public and private funding, and demonstrating the impact we can have when we work together.

This tracker is supported by the UK, and delivered in partnership with the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, Sanitation and Water for All, as well as the Global Water Partnership.

I very much look forward to hearing in Glasgow later this year about the progress that has been made.

And I wish you the very best for your discussion today, which is about putting the vital ambitions of the AAC into practice.

And of course helping to create a safer, more resilient world for all of us.

Thank you.

The speech made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 6 May 2021.

Secretary General, Prime Minister Johnson, Chancellor Merkel, Svenja, Ministers, Friends.

Today, I have the unique honour of being the only COP President-Designate to welcome ministers to the Petersberg Dialogue two years in a row. And it is a particular pleasure for me to be sitting next to my friend Minister Schulze as I do so.

Svenja, let me start by congratulating you for the proposal that you put forward yesterday to make Germany net zero by 2045, coupled with enhanced near-term ambition.

Colleagues will know that at last year’s Dialogue we quite rightly focused on the unfolding impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and the importance of the green recovery.

This year, with now less than six months to go to Glasgow, we are focusing on the negotiations.

And I am very keen that we use every moment of our time over the next two days to delve into adaptation, into finance, and of course, the outstanding elements of the Paris Rulebook, as Svenja has just said.

And we need to be exploring solutions to issues that require a political resolution.

And we need to provide clear guidance to our negotiators on what is expected from them ahead of Glasgow.

And we need to send a clear signal that the political will is there to reach a successful negotiated outcome at COP26.

Now friends, we are now all too familiar with these video conferences. They can sometimes feel very formulaic. What I sometimes refer to as the ‘doom of Zoom’.

But, I request that we do everything we can to make full use of the opportunity that we have now today and up to Glasgow.

That we move beyond positional statements.

Instead, let’s speak very frankly about what really matters to each of us, to each of our countries. And let’s engage in a genuine conversation about how we, as ministers, can best contribute to resolving these issues.

It is only through flexibility, through leadership that we will find compromise.

And it is through that that we will agree a balanced package that makes the goals of the Paris Agreement a reality.

That is what each of us must bring to this virtual table today. And am really looking forward to the detailed discussions we’re going to have.

But before we begin, I want to give you a quick but important update.

As many of you will know, in March the United Kingdom held a Climate and Development Ministerial meeting. And we agreed at this to set-up a Taskforce on Access to Finance, which is absolutely vital for developing countries around the world.

This will take a new, economy-wide approach to climate finance, aligning support behind developing country priorities.

And I am very pleased to say that we have developed the draft concept note already, which I am going to invite partners to work with us in shaping and take this work forward. And we will make this available shortly on the COP26 website.

For now that is all from me, I very much look forward to hearing from ministers and having an interactive discussion.

Svenja, back to you.

The speech made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 22 April 2021.

Your Excellencies, Ladies, Gentlemen, Friends.

Before a baby born today has even finished primary education, the future will be set.

We all know that the next decade will be make, or break, for planet earth.

And the warning lights are flashing bright red.

And that is why the decisions world leaders are taking today, and, indeed, on the road to COP26, are going to be absolutely critical.

So I want to thank President Biden for bringing us together, and for the US’s own ambitious new nationally determined contribution.

And, indeed, I am grateful to everyone who has made announcements.

And moved us closer to our clean, green future. To creating jobs and prosperity without harming the planet.

And with today’s announcements from the US, Canada and Japan, every G7 country now has an NDC that puts them on a path to net zero by 2050.

This is a significant step towards keeping 1.5 degrees within reach, from a group of countries who have a responsibility to lead.

As you’ve heard, Net zero commitments now cover 70 percent of the global economy.

And this is real progress. But we have much further to go.

Because, as I said at the Climate Ambition Summit in December, the key question is:

Have we collectively as a world community done enough to put the world on track to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.

To protecting ourselves from climate change.

And making the Paris Agreement a reality.

Friends, the answer to that question is still: no, not yet.

Between now and COP26 there will be more opportunities for countries to raise their ambition. And so we must.

Because if we are serious about 1.5 degrees, we must be serious about NDCs. And we must be serious about acting now to reduce emissions. And we must be serious about supporting developing countries.

The next IPCC report will show us again the urgency of our situation.

And the world is looking expectantly to its leaders to respond.

And we must prove that we are up to the challenge. And we must make COP26 the turning point where we get on track to make the goals of the Paris Agreement a reality.

And that means, firstly, putting the world on a path to net zero through long term targets and aligned NDCs.

And taking immediate action to meet those targets – by, for example, phasing out coal.

So, I welcome South Korea’s commitment to end overseas coal financing.

Second, we must boost adaptation.

Third, we need finance, as we have heard about in this section. And we must all see ourselves as champions of developing countries. Whose calls for action we have heard loud and clear today.

Climate change, we all know, does not respect borders. And tackling it is absolutely a global effort.

So, developed countries must mobilise the promised $100billion a year.

And I very much welcome the US return to the fold following today’s initial climate finance commitment. And we will continue to work with all donors to increase ambition towards our collective goal.

Finally, we must work together to deliver a low carbon world, and make the negotiations in Glasgow a success.

Friends, today, we have made progress on our goals.

But we need a further step change.

We need world leaders to mount a global response that matches the scale and the urgency of the crisis we face.

This is the defining issue of our political age.

The one against which future generations will judge us above all others.

But I do believe we can and we must rise to the occasion.

The comments made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 19 February 2021.

As COP26 President it’s important to me that I was able to see first-hand the very real impacts of climate change including on the lives of mountain-based communities.

People here are incredibly resilient but it is an injustice that one of the lowest carbon emitters in the region is being hit in this way.

There is clearly a strong understanding of the urgent need for climate action among women and young people here, and I was glad to hear that sentiment echoed by the Government of Nepal.

Globally we must do more to support those on the frontline of climate change. Seeing the British Gurkha projects in action shows how we can improve lives if we work together.

The comments made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 16 February 2021.

Thank you so much.

Friends, ladies, gentlemen, honourable guests.

Good afternoon from Nigeria. I’ve been here over the past twenty-four hours and I’ve had a range of productive meetings with the Vice President, other government ministers, and civil society on our shared need to act urgently to tackle climate change.

And it is an absolute pleasure to be joining you today and a very great thanks to my friend Dr Mathur for inviting me to participate in this very important summit.

And I’m also very delighted to be speaking alongside Mr Frans Timmermans and Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, who we know are great champions for climate action.

May I first start by expressing my deepest condolences for the situation in Uttarakhand.Our thoughts and prayers are for all of those who have been sadly affected by this tragedy.

As we’ve heard, today marks the conclusion of the 20th annual World Sustainable Development Summit. Over those past two decades, the world has experienced its hottest ten years on record.

We have seen what the UN calls a “staggering” rise in climate disasters.

Affecting more than four billion people across the world.

And causing almost $3 trillion of losses to the global economy.

It is overwhelmingly clear that the climate crisis is impacting all our lives. And that crisis is unfortunately accelerating.

And to avoid it getting unimaginably worse, we must act now.

And we must act together.

As an international community we have agreed what we need to do.

In 2015 the world came together and signed up to the Paris Agreement, which established the framework for a clean, resilient global economy.

But although progress has been made, we are not on track to meet its goals.

If we do not change course, the climate impacts that we are already experiencing will grow into a tragedy of epic proportions.

We will end up seeing entire communities destroyed.

We’ll see many millions more pushed into poverty.

So, our aim as the COP26 Presidency is to get the world on track to make the Paris Agreement a reality.

This requires countries to act and to act now.

By making robust adaptation plans and policies.

By investing in green recoveries.

And by committing to net zero.

And of course, by announcing aligned Nationally Determined Contributions, and policies and plans to get there.

Plans like Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to generate 450 gigawatts of renewable power by 2030.

And NDC’s like the UK’s – which puts us on track to meet our 2050 net zero target.

But we also need action from across society.

And we need to work together.

Because making the Paris Agreement a reality requires us all to act in concert.

The UK COP Presidency aims to unite countries, and groups across society, behind the aims of the Paris Agreement. And, importantly to place inclusivity at the heart COP26.

We are urging businesses, investors, cities and regions to join the Race to Zero campaign for example, by committing to reach net zero by 2050 at the latest.

And we’ve seen many companies come forward. Companies like Dalmia Cement and Mahindra group have done so. We’ve seen cities like Delhi and Kolkata have signed up to this too.

And we are bringing the voices, of civil society, women, young people, Indigenous Peoples, and marginalised groups, into COP26.

These communities are some of the most affected by climate impacts.

Their knowledge, leadership, and expertise are absolutely essential to developing effective solutions.

Over the past two weeks I have met personally with youth and civil society climate activists in Ethiopia, in Gabon in Egypt, and here in Nigeria.

And I will continue to prioritise these interactions in all my country visits on the road to COP26.

The UK’s COP26 Presidency has established the Civil Society and Youth Advisory Council to help shape the Summit.

And this group includes brilliant young climate leaders from countries such as India and Kenya.

Our Friends of COP Advisory Group includes Indigenous leaders.

And the UK Government is supporting a mentoring initiative to encourage women from a diverse range of backgrounds to participate in climate negotiations.

And I also want to welcome and thank the work that has been done by TERI and WSDS to bring the voices of youth and women to the forefront.

The UK COP Presidency is also working to enhance international collaboration.

Between countries and across society.

Bringing together governments, business, civil society and financial institutions around five critical climate issues: finance, adaptation, nature, clean energy and clean transport.

Because we know that if we all focus on specific challenges and sectors, we can make progress faster.

By sharing solutions, bringing down costs, and driving innovation.

Together, we can accelerate the transition to clean growth.

Creating those jobs and prosperity and spurring development, which we all want to see.

And I very much recognise India’s leadership in this area. With pioneering initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

I look forward to working with both organisations over the coming year. And to showcasing them at COP.

And we are delighted that India is participating in the new forums for collaboration that the UK COP Presidency has created. Like the Energy Transition Council and Zero Emissions Vehicles Transitions Council.

With its vision and its flair and its leadership, India will be absolutely vital to the success of COP26.

As we approach Glasgow, I am pleased to say that the partnership between our two countries on climate change has never been stronger.

And I very much look forward to visiting in person next week and hearing first-hand about India’s ambitions.

The UK COP Presidency is committed to working in partnership with those countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Which for so many years have led the world’s attempts to tackle it.

We saw this in 2015 when Prime Minister Modi played a decisive role in getting the Paris Agreement over the line. And Small Island Developing States touched the conscience of the world, persuading it to pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.

And we see this today too.

As Barbados and the Maldives announce their aim to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

And we see countries like India and Bangladesh use early warning systems to save thousands of lives.

And Ethiopia – where I’ve just been – plans to plant 20 billion trees by 2024.

The UK COP Presidency wants to amplify the leadership of those countries vulnerable to climate change. And to work together to make progress on critical issues like finance and adaptation.

So, we’re very pleased to be co-chairing the next meeting of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in March, alongside our friends and partners in India.

And, last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the Adaptation Action Coalition.

Which the UK has developed with Egypt, Bangladesh, Malawi, the Netherlands, St Lucia, and the UN.

This Coalition is a chance for developed and developing countries to share knowledge and best practice on adaptation and resilience at every level: local, regional and global.

And next month the UK COP Presidency will hold a Climate and Development Ministerial.

This will bring Ministers together to look at four key issues: access to finance; quantity and quality of climate finance; response to impacts; and fiscal space and debt.

And civil society organisations will be part of this conversation.

Together, we will look for ways to move forward on these key issues. And plan how we can make progress through events like the G7, the UN General Assembly, and COP26 itself.

Friends, in conclusion, we all share one precious life-giving but fragile planet.

And we all have a stake in its future.

Through partnership, collaboration, and with all of us on board, we can bring the benefits of clean growth and resilient economies to countries around the world.

And thereby protecting our people and our planet.

Thank you.

The speech made by Alok Sharma, the President of the COP26, on 25 January 2021.

Thank you very much distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, excellencies.

I would really like to thank the Netherlands for hosting this excellent summit. We have heard some brilliant submissions and real power to the messages that have been coming through. I also want to thank the Global Center on Adaptation – I see you have my friend Feike with you. And of course, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, for his leadership in adaptation and resilience.

And I can tell you that as COP President this is a top priority indeed. And I know that it is the same for my dear friend Patricia Espinosa who you will hear from shortly as well.

Building resilience into our economies and societies is absolutely urgent, and it is essential, if we are to protect human lives and livelihoods from the effects of our changing climate.

Ultimately it requires all of us to act together: whether it’s governments or cities, or regions; businesses, investors or civil society, all of us have to act on this issue.

Of course there is a great deal of fantastic work that is already going on.

From cities like Port Moresby, investing in trees and mangroves to protect the City and its people from coastal flooding.

To the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment, which represents around $10 trillion in assets.

Driving private finance to fund resilient infrastructure and helping investors to understand climate risk which is so vital.

And of course today, we are launching two new campaigns to focus efforts and make progress faster.

This morning, as you will have heard, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the Adaptation Action Coalition. With our partners, Egypt, Bangladesh, Malawi, St Lucia, the UN, and, of course the Netherlands.

The Coalition will bring governments together to accelerate action ahead of COP26.

And now it is my particular pleasure to launch the Race to Resilience campaign.

This is a campaign that will mobilise businesses, investors, cities, civil society and others to act.

Bringing together initiatives with the aim of building the resilience of 4 billion people across the world – that’s representing over half of the world’s population – by 2030.

The campaign will support activities delivering for people and nature.

For example, cities protecting people against heatwaves.

Or small holder farmers utilising climate resilient technologies.

And restoring deforested and degraded land.

I would also like to thank our two brilliant Climate Champions, Nigel and Gonzalo, for the incredible effort that they have put in to make sure that this initiative happens.

And I do think that together, these two campaigns can make a real difference to the scale and pace of adaptation and resilience across all our economies and indeed across society.

So I will finish with an ask to everyone who is listening and watching this: the ask to governments, is please join the Adaptation Action Coalition; and to businesses, to cities, to civil society groups, please join the Race to Resilience.

And help us, working together, to build a more resilient and better world.

Thank you.