As the second week of the Glasgow Climate Change Conference began, the COP 26 Presidency set out a plan for the remaining negotiations. Consultations were dominated by finance discussions, while other issues still to resolve include transparency issues, Article 6 (cooperative approaches), adaptation issues, and loss and damage. 

The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the UNFCCC is convening in Glasgow, UK, through 12 November 2021.

According to the modalities for the week announced by COP 26 President Alok Sharma (UK), ministers will lead discussions on key political issues, in parallel to ongoing work at the technical level. At the same time, the Presidency is working with heads of delegation on “covering” decisions, which could be used to convey an overall message from the conference, according to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.

On Monday, 8 November, negotiations on finance largely focused on the new collective quantified finance goal. Discussions aim not to set the goal but to establish a process for doing so. Divisions remain between developed and developing countries on how to go about setting the new goal before 2025. Possible approaches include an ad hoc working group, a committee, or a series of workshops to help countries explore the issue. The High-level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Finance under the Paris Agreement also convened on Monday.

Finance discussions comprised much of negotiation time on Tuesday, as well. The ENB explains that “the time devoted to these issues is the result of both the volume of work, and the deep divides between developed and developing countries’ positions.”

Technology negotiations were reported to be “relatively smooth” on Monday. On adaptation, discussions on Tuesday, 9 November, focused on the global goal enshrined in the Paris Agreement, which is a priority for developing countries given their current vulnerability to the effects of climate change. The consultations aim to “set up a process that can clarify how to operationalize this goal and bring more parity between adaptation and mitigation in the UN climate process,” per the ENB.

Adaptation and loss and damage were the official COP theme for Monday, 8 November. The ENB writes that these are “two issues that show time is running out for some, and has already run out for many others.” Events showcased experiences of living on the frontlines of climate change, and countries pledged USD 232 million to the Adaptation Fund, with the EU announcing a EUR 100 million contribution to the Fund.

On Article 6, where many hope that the Paris Rulebook will be completed, the ENB reports that some elements seem to be coming together, and technical discussions are done. Ministers are considering two final options for common time frames.

Looking towards the final stretch of the Conference, the ENB says time for the vulnerable is in short supply, and a few days remain to fill the promise of the Paris Agreement, which former US President Barack Obama said in Glasgow on Monday is “to give our planet a fighting chance.” [Earth Negotiations Bulletin coverage of COP 26]