Data breach shows: countries are pushing to continue using oil and coal

According to the British broadcaster, countries are lobbying behind the scenes and this raises the question of whether they really want to commit to a better environment. Also says Joris Thijssen, PvdA deputy and former co-director of Greenpeace Netherlands.

“A country with coal still lobbying for coal, countries with oil lobbying for oil. It has been happening for years and it’s very sad to see countries still doing it. let’s not save the climate this way, ”Thijssen said.

In the Documents disclosed by the BBC these are 32,000 comments submitted by governments, businesses and stakeholders to the IPCC climate panel. It is the team of international scientists who prepare reports for the UN on climate change and how it should be approached. Even if it is the governments who decide on these.

Red code

The last major IPCC climate report was in August of this year and was very alarming. It’s code red; mankind must now do all in its power to prevent the earth from warming by 1.5%. The countries will discuss it soon in Glasgow, during the conference of parties (COP).

Mitigate

The report will be followed up next year and all kinds of countries are now trying to weaken the findings, according to the data breach. Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia, for example, are calling on the UN to downplay the need to move away from fossil fuels. The Saudis are the world’s largest oil exporter. Australia exports a lot of coal.

According to the BBC, the documents indicate that a senior Australian government official rejects the conclusion that the closure of coal-fired power plants is necessary. Even if putting an end to the use of coal is one of the objectives of the Glasgow conference.

India, the second largest consumer of coal after China, says it will continue to do so for decades.

beef hall

Switzerland has reservations about the agreement that rich countries must financially support developing countries to meet their emissions targets.

And Brazil and Argentina, the main beef producers, oppose the IPCC’s conclusion that eating less meat is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Not a good word for about

MP Joris Thijssen does not have a good word for this: “All these countries have signed the Paris climate agreement. It contains all of these questions. Then they will now try to weaken everything. How many forests have yet to catch fire, and how much extreme weather is needed before government leaders realize that we really need to do a lot more. “

The COP26 climate summit in Glasgow begins on October 31 and lasts until November 12. There will be representatives from approximately 200 countries. The goal is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. According to scientists, global CO2 emissions must be reduced by 45% in the coming years compared to 2010 to achieve this.

“One hundred percent scientific”

It is indeed not possible for countries to influence the content of the IPCC climate report, say the people who contributed to it. Like Rob van Dorland from KNMI. He is the focal point of the IPCC, or IPCC affairs coordinator for our country.

“Reports are written by scientists, based on science. Countries can try to add something through comments or statements. But if it is not correct, it will not be honored by scientists. must be based on the scientific literature One hundred percent scientific, ”says Van Dorland.

Reduce emissions

The report of the international climate panel is produced with the collaboration of hundreds of international scientists. One of them is Bart van den Hurk, weather and climate information expert at the Deltares research office in Delft.

He says: “At the IPCC, the facts speak for themselves. The report says the need to make Glasgow a success and reduce emissions is obvious.

“We understand that countries want to apply accents in line with national interests. But the fact that emissions need to be reduced is obvious,” Van den Hurk said.

Van Dorland: “With COP26, we are talking about a political process, but not with the IPCC. In Glasgow, all countries rely more on their own agenda in decision-making.

And that is exactly what MEP Thijssen is afraid of. “Everyone made promises at the time, but some countries certainly did not do enough. When in fact more must be done than what was agreed in Paris. not spending enough in Glasgow, and not being successful. But it sells as a success. “