Shocked, Shocked! China, Saudi Arabia Miss Deadline To Submit Written Committments For COP 26
China and Saudi Arabia have failed to make written UN climate commitments ahead of COP26, i can reveal, punching a major hole in the UK’s ambitions to reduce global carbon emissions. Both countries, which are among the world’s biggest polluters, declined to submit updated pledges in time for the UN’s deadline this week to further reduce emissions ahead of the climate summit in Glasgow next month.
The move means COP26 will begin without fresh pledges from some of the biggest emitters on the steps they will take to slash their carbon output. It leaves Boris Johnson and COP26 President Alok Sharma facing an increasingly daunting task in trying to secure a substantial international agreement to tackle climate change when leaders meet next month.
The Prime Minister’s failure to reach a deal with international partners in Glasgow would severely hinder efforts to halve global emissions targets by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. Each country was expected to put forward their Nationally Determined Contributions on Tuesday this week, setting out their renewed efforts to tackle climate change since 2016. However, the UN’s register shows that neither China nor Saudi Arabia submitted plans in time, prompting accusations that Alok Sharma, the UK COP26 President, had “fallen at the first hurdle”.
EDIT
News that the two big polluters have refused to make renewed commitments ahead of next month’s summit comes just weeks after Mr Sharma flew out to Tianjin in China to push the need for renewed targets. On his return he insisted he had held “constructive discussions” with his Chinese counterparts, but urged Beijing to urgently put forward detailed plans on how to achieve their climate goals.
EDIT
https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/cop-26-china-and-saudi-arabia-miss-deadline-to-submit-climate-change-plans-in-blow-to-uk-ambitions-1248872