COP26: UK puts out Glasgow draft, mild treatment of finance a concern

The UK, which is chairing the current round of UN-sponsored climate negotiations, put forward draft texts of the overarching decisions that provides the broad strokes of the consensus that is being sought from countries at Glasgow.

Observers have described the text as "lopsided." "This is currently a very lopsided document. For the first time, a COP text explicitly calls for phasing out coal and fossil fuel subsidies. On helping countries adapt to climate impact and deal with the permanent losses and damage, it is very fuzzy and vague," said Mohamed Adow, director, Power Shift Africa.

There is a definite push to get countries to increase ambition through rapid review of national climate targets. There is reference to institution of an annual ministerial dialogue on pre-2030 ambition.


This is something that India, speaking on behalf of the advanced developing countries grouping BASIC, has objected to at the informal stocktaking. India's lead negotiator Richa Sharma said, "cover decisions of COP26 should remain within the confines of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement..."

On finance, the text is much milder. "We won't get the ambition on emissions we need for 1.5 C, if we don't scale up the provision of finance. 'Urging' 'calling' 'encouraging' and 'inviting' is not the decisive language that this moment calls for," said Ambassador Aubrey Webson, the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States.