Paranting Explainers | Does the Glasgow Climate Pact from COP26 go far enough?

Short answer: no.

Words: Felice Southwell. Images: iStock.

After two weeks of meetings and debates on climate change in Glasgow, COP26 has ended with a deal reached.

The event was surrounded by days of mass protest, celebrity appearances and cautious optimism for international collaboration but many are disappointed with the outcome.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has called the deal both “game-changing” and “tinged with disappointment” while Alok Sharma, President of COP26, even apologised to the delegations in front of him as he passed the agreement, almost breaking into tears.

So, when even the hosts of the event are making apologies for not going far enough, how far exactly did this diplomatic project go towards reducing the effects of climate change?

"Phase-down" or "phase-out" coal?

One of the main goals of the COP26 conference was to secure agreements on keeping the 1.5 degrees target and achieving global net-zero by 2050.

This is thought to limit the worst impacts of climate change.

To do this, it …