Environment correspondent Fiona Harvey describes a global climate deal that makes some progress but goes nowhere near far enough to avert devastating global heating
After two gruelling weeks of negotiations in Glasgow, the Cop26 climate summit was brought to a close on Saturday night with an agreement. In it, countries pledged new reductions in carbon emissions, although nowhere near enough to keep warming to within the goal of 1.5C higher than post-industrial levels. For that, they have agreed to come back with more ambitious national contributions next year when the UN conference is held in Egypt.
The Guardian’s environment correspondent, Fiona Harvey, has been in Glasgow all week following every development and tells Michael Safi that while the agreement reached in overtime was far from perfect, it contains some significant commitments on coal, methane, deforestation and electric vehicles.
While environmental groups and activists have been quick to brand the outcome a failure, Harvey says there is no alternative other than to keep pushing national leaders to go further and further – and that the Cop summits are still the best forum to get meaningful global agreements.
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