Quixplained: 5 terms that came up at the climate change conference in Glasgow

The main task for COP26 was to finalise the rules and procedures for implementation of the Paris Agreement. Most of these rules had been finalised by 2018, but a few provisions had remained unresolved.

climate change conference, Glasgow Climate change conference, cop26, climate change cop26

The Glasgow meeting was the 26th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP26. (Express Illustration)

After two weeks of negotiations with governments debating over provisions on phasing out coal, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and providing money to the poor world, the annual climate change summit came to an end on Saturday night with the adoption of a weaker-than-expected agreement called the Glasgow Climate Pact.

The Glasgow meeting was the 26th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP26. The main task for COP26 was to finalise the rules and procedures for implementation of the Paris Agreement. Most of these rules had been finalised by 2018, but a few provisions, like the one relating to creation of new carbon markets, had remained unresolved. However, due to clear evidence of worsening of the climate crisis in the six years since the Paris Agreement was finalised, host country United Kingdom was keen to ensure that Glasgow, instead of becoming merely a “procedural” COP, was a turning point in enhancing climate actions.

The effort was to push for an agreement that could put the world on a 1.5 degree Celsius pathway, instead of the 2 degree Celsius trajectory which is the main objective of the Paris Agreement.

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Here we attempt to quickly explain five important terms that came up in the climate change conference in Glasgow.

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Explained | Key takeaways from COP26 and what the Glasgow Climate Pact is all about

Mitigation: In Glasgow, one of the main discussions was to increase the ambition of mitigation actions climate change conference, Glasgow Climate change conference, cop26, climate change cop26

Adaptation: All the ways in which human beings need to adapt to climate change climate change conference, Glasgow Climate change conference, cop26, climate change cop26

NDCs: Targets set by countries to fight climate change climate change conference, Glasgow Climate change conference, cop26, climate change cop26

Climate Finance: The money required to fund the actions needed to fight climate change

Also read | What COP26 achieved, didn’t

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