Looks like things aren’t going smoothly leading up to COP26
THE COP26 climate change conference due to take place in Glasgow in November may not go ahead because of a lack of progress in lead-up talks, its former chief has said.
Claire O’Neill said there was now a “question mark” over whether the two-week event at the SEC would take place as planned or be delayed.
She also urged the leaders of the G7 countries meeting in Cornwalll this week to set the right tone, given the urgency of the climate crisis, to help ensure the Cop took place.
Ms O’Neil, a former energy minister formerly known by her married name as Claire Perry, was nominated as Cop26 president in September 2019.
However Boris Johnson sacked her a few months later in order to install a serving minister in the role, giving it to then business secretary Alok Sharma.
Speaking to BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Ms O’Neill the 198 parties to the Cop were currently in virtual negotiations, but were failing to advance as required.
She said: “The reason for Cop to happen is a series of negotiations which have to happen in 198 directions, and they are not as focused as people would expect on this enormous climate emergency and the need for really rapid action.
It’s coming down to the wire.
“I’m hearing from very reliable sources that at the end of this virtual negotiation period, the parties, the 198 parties, will decide whether they’ve made enough progress to go ahead in Glasgow. And of course there is then a question about in-person or virtual [attendance], because some countries find the idea of virtual negotiations to be very difficult.
And of course the obligatory: WE MUST DO THIS!
She also said it would be a “terrible mistake” if the negotiators chose to delay the Cop to hold face-to-face meetings rather than do some parts virtually.
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She was useless when she was Claire Perry. She is equally useless now she is Claire O’Neil.
About the only reason I could see to hold this conference would be to give an honest review of the (lack of) significant damage we’ve already suffered as a result of not following all the emergency recommendations from COP 1 through 25.
It seems unlikely they’re that honest, so maybe we should do it for them.
They really should have COP26 at Hogwarts. With CO2’s magical powers, and their uncanny abilities to conjure up all manner of climate ghosts, ghouls, and goblins, it would be super duper.
Poor Greta.
How Dare They not allow her another chance to pout in public.
Not sure about Scotland, but she is above the legal public drinking age under Australian law. My guess is she will be itching to go on a bender… I mean pout in public some more.
Claire O’Neill: “…this enormous climate emergency and the need for really rapid action.”
Garbage in her head, garbage out of her mouth.
It’s always ‘coming down to the wire’ and ever since 1990, but heck the world is still here and do you begin to think that meeting up is just the thing really? Gawd, and so many salaries to pay, they’ve gotta be seen together doin’ noffink. Time to bin the UN climastrophe charade, erm actually time to bin the UN.