Politics

Alok Sharma can make Cop26 a success – but does he have the will? | Chaitanya Kumar


The wait is over for the new president of the all-important United Nations climate conference (Cop26) in Glasgow in November. Alok Sharma is set to take on this high-octane diplomatic role while also juggling the immensely powerful job of leading the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Some may see this as a herculean task, but the BEIS secretary is in a unique position to lead the charge in tackling the climate emergency. His portfolio now includes not just delivering net-zero carbon in the UK but also convincing the world to follow suit.

Reportedly turned down by former Conservative heavyweights David Cameron and William Hague, the Cop26 presidency had been in a state of limbo. The sacked president, Claire O’Neill, warned of a serious leadership gap in her departing missive to Boris Johnson. Having a cabinet minister now leading the charge is welcome, but the new minister’s voting record on climate does not instil confidence. He has voted against support for carbon-capture projects and taxing polluting vehicles and dirty power stations, among other things.

Cop26 is a different kettle of fish, and making it a success is vital to tackling climate change. In 2019, Cop25 ended in disappointment, as rich nations failed to enhance their carbon-cutting commitments or raise more money for countries struggling to cope with climate impacts. A similar outcome in Glasgow will mean inaction until 2025, and we simply cannot afford that.

The new Cop26 president and the UK government face a major diplomatic task over the next few months to persuade high carbon-emitting nations, such as China and India, to commit to greater cuts, while getting the EU, US and other rich countries to meet the pledge made a decade ago to raise $100bn a year in climate finance. Existing contributions from all the nations combined put us on a path to increasing average global temperatures by 3.2C by 2100, while the Paris accord commits nations to a pathway of well below 2C. This will be the ultimate test of the conference in November. Every tenth of a degree makes a huge difference to the lives and livelihoods of millions at the frontline of climate change.

The success of this conference will rely heavily on manoeuvring the full force of the UK’s diplomats and climate attaches from around the world, who will work with negotiators of key countries to secure necessary commitments and concessions. Working closely with the EU and other high-ambition partners will be vital to shift the position of China and India, in particular, as long as the diplomacy respects their need for greater finance and technology to bring millions of their citizens out of poverty and pursue a clean development strategy. Both nations made clear at the UN climate summit last year that any request for further emission cuts from them needs to be backed by substantially greater finance.

The new Cop26 president has his work cut out. As the former secretary of state for international development, Sharma hosted environment ministers from around the world to gear up for Cop26 and focused his department’s attention on climate-change adaptation overseas, indicating perhaps his and his party’s growing interest in this issue.

But Whitehall may have bitten off more than it can chew as it tries to secure post-Brexit trade deals by the end of the year while also striving to make a success of the climate conference. The two goals aren’t incompatible, as the UK’s climate targets are set in domestic law and a trade deal will not affect that. However, if the past three years have taught us anything, it’s that the government has a very limited capacity to deal with policy questions unrelated to Brexit. The BEIS department itself is responsible for making sure British businesses adjust to the post-Brexit trade regime, as well as emissions targets. The only way to achieve that now is to centre climate change in trade negotiations and support businesses in their low-carbon transition.

Leadership at home is also vital if we are to inspire the major economies of the world to cut carbon emissions. The recent announcement to end the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035 was important, but it was relatively low-hanging fruit. Tougher decisions will have to be taken on cutting carbon from our homes and our large industries such as steel, and getting the UK on track to net-zero. As BEIS secretary, it’s within Sharma’s gift to take these difficult, but necessary, decisions.

For now, however, to be taken seriously as a credible host, Sharma needs to put forward a bold, revised carbon target for 2030 (as required by the UN, with advice from the Committee on Climate Change) with a clear policy pathway to meeting it. The next 10 years of action are what matters to make or break our chances of avoiding a climate catastrophe.

How the minister uses the full power of his combined roles to achieve this green transformation at home while urging the same overseas is yet to be seen. Any outcome of a Cop conference reflects largely on the host, and Sharma has a massive responsibility to make a success of it.

Chaitanya Kumar is head of energy and climate policy at Green Alliance



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