This morning, the UNFCCC released the latest draft cover decision text of COP26. Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president for climate change at WWF, issued the following statement in response.
"As we close in on the end of this critical summit, this text provides a good indicator of the progress made to this point. Since the conference began, the world has seen and heard much of the United States government's return to climate leadership. We have heard from President Biden, former President Obama, Cabinet members, Governors, Senators, Congresspeople, Tribal leaders, Mayors, CEOS, community leaders, and in fact, every sector of American society. They have come to Glasgow to say America Is All In. Now is the moment for the United States to show it. The United States must seize this moment and push these negotiations to an ambitious conclusion.
"The text recognizes the immense challenge ahead of us, and acknowledges that we need to enhance the ambition of global commitments by 2022 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. We welcome the text's reference to the role of nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation and are pleased to see a first mention to the relevance of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
"These are all necessary elements of a successful outcome to COP26, but alone, they are not sufficient. The negotiators must provide a plan for measuring short term action, not just long-term commitments. The text must shorten the period in which nations report updated NDCs, ensure the delivery of international finance, and strengthen the stock taking of commitments actually realized. To achieve the urgent and systemic change we need, the United States must do its part. Only with this level of leadership, will we get to where we need to be."
