COP26

With a remit set out in law to be “the guardian of the interests of future generations in Wales”, Sophie Howe is the world’s only Future Generations Commissioner. At COP26 she discusses how her interventions have secured fundamental changes to land use planning policy, major transport schemes and Government policy on housing – ensuring that decisions taken today are fit for the future.

The UN High-Level Climate Champions join Race to Resilience Partners today in calling for efforts to protect the most climate-vulnerable communities to double in the decade, with a focus on the most exposed, vulnerable, indigeneous, populous and large regions of the Global South.

Regions, cities, financial institutions, countries, and sectors from across society are stepping up to build the resilience of those most vulnerable to climate change.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Oregon Governor Kate Brown and the Premier of British Columbia John Horgan introduce a regional partnership called the Pacific Coast Collaborative to advance climate policies, build a clean energy economy and infrastructure, and increase their state’s resilience to impacts already occurring.

The Race to Resilience has developed a metrics framework for non state actors to verify the climate resilience impact of their actions. This new metrics framework, for the first time, allows non state actors to report action, and quantify and verify impact under a common framework.

To keep 1.5°C alive, annual CO2 emissions in 2030 need to be reduced by further 22 Gt; at the end of COP26 Week one, commitments (if delivered) would close that gap by 9 Gt, leaving ~13 Gt to go, says new analysis.

It’s Nature Day at COP26 and the message is beginning to ring louder that reversing nature loss by 2030 is a requirement for net zero by 2050.

The initiative, with farmers at its heart, will work with over 500 million farmers to apply regenerative production methods and transform agricultural systems, as well as ensure roughly USD $60 billion per year is deployed to finance the transition.

Massive Attack has commissioned the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to produce a roadmap for live music, setting out emissions reductions that would make the sector compatible with Paris/1.5C targets.

There is no viable route to limiting global warming to 1.5°C and building resilience without urgently protecting, managing and restoring nature, argues Nature4Climate Coalition Director, James Lloyd.

Legendary marine biologist, Chair and President of Mission Blue, and National Geographic Explorer, Dr Sylvia Earle explains what it will take to restore the health of our oceans after decades of deep decline.

Ocean-based solutions not only mitigate climate change but play a large role in climate adaptation. Opinion by Project Drawdown’s Emilia Jankowska, Mamta Mehra and Chad Frischmann.

Research shows that halving emissions within the 2020s is possible, while youth and parents step up calls for countries to protect and better manage the ocean and water  and end fossil fuels finance. 

Recognizing the ocean-climate connection and the need for youth calls for ocean and climate action to be amplified, Sustainable Ocean Alliance’s Youth Policy Advisory Council solicited video submissions from young, regional environmental leaders.

A coalition of public and private partners has launched the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) with the ambition to mobilise USD$625 million for coral reef conservation over the next decade.

A number of ambitious emissions reductions targets were announced by the UNFCCC’s Sports for Climate Action Framework (S4CA) this week at COP26.

“We urge you to not neglect the ocean, because without the ocean our fight against the climate crisis would be incomplete and ineffective. We need to come together to protect both land and sea, in a collective manner that will help sustain our planet for the generations to come.”

In this video, Future Labs imagines future of universally accessible climate-smart healthcare, where we have lowered emissions from the healthcare sector and improved both quality and delivery of healthcare.

“By combining local efforts to protect critical habitat with effective co-management for coastal fisheries, we can ensure food security, support the productive economy, safeguard livelihoods, and contribute to achieving national and global sustainable development and climate change goals,” says Rocky Sanchez Tirona is the Managing Director of Fish Forever at Rare.

The High Level Climate Champions and the ocean community have signed the Ocean for Climate Declaration: a call to governments and non-state actors to scale up ocean-based climate solutions and action.

Investing and nurturing in inclusivity and equity is a central strategy to building resilient societies that can navigate turbulence and change, argue Albert Norström, Robert Blasiak, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Kanae Tokunaga and Colette Wabnitz.