A global drive to limit climate change caused by human activity is at the heart of COP26, a United Nations climate change conference held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12, 2021. Created in 1995 to rally together countries and groups to set binding goals to combat climate change, it aims to set the world on the path to net zero by the 2050s and keep global temperature increases from breaching the 1.5-degree threshold.
Environmental Impact of COP26 and ISO 14001
Global action on climate change is at the heart of COP26. For actions such as investment in renewable energy to be achieved, will require behaviour change from businesses and consumers. Organisations assessing and managing their environmental impact through ISO 14001 standard certification will be needed to help prevent runaway temperature rises. With a deepening focus on global efforts to address climate change, organisations that implement environmental management systems (EMS) and achieve ISO 14001 certification are finding themselves playing a key role in tackling the devastating impact of climate change. Businesses will have a pivotal role to play to proactively reduce carbon emissions and to respond to any additional legislative drives to reduce emissions.
What Is COP26?
The COP26 event is a United Nations summit that aims to tackle climate change. This is the 26th conference of its type, with the first conference held in Berlin in 1995. Notable previous meetings were COP3 which resulted in the 1997 Kyoto protocol, and COP21 in Paris, which saw all nations agreeing to work together to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This year’s conference is held in the UK, and many nations view it as the world’s best last chance to keep climate under control and prevent a runaway temperature increase. COP standards for ‘Conference of Parties’.
Find out more about the COP26 climate change conference.
What Are the Aims of COP26?
COP26 goals are short and simple.
1. Secure global net zero by midcentury and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Nations are being asked to commit to ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century. Countries will need to accelerate the phaseout of coal, encourage investment in renewables, curtail deforestation and speed up the switch to electric vehicles to meet this goal.
2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
The climate is already changing, and it will continue to change even as emissions are reduced. COP26 aims to encourage countries affected by climate change to protect and restore ecosystems, build defences, put warning systems in place and make infrastructure and agriculture more resilient to avoid loss of lives, homes and livelihoods.
3. Mobilise finance
Developed nations are being asked to raise at least $100bn in climate finance per year at COP26. International financial institutions are being asked to unleash the trillions in private and public sector finance required to secure global net zero.
4. Work together to deliver
The Paris Rulebook, drafted at COP21, needs to be finalised.
IPCC Climate Change Report
In preparation for COP26, a report on observed climate change over time and the future projected scenarios has been set out for world leaders by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The observed trends in temperature for the last 30 years and the predictions for the future make sobering reading. Even if we were to stop burning fossil fuels today globally, increasing temperatures can’t be reversed in our lifetimes.
The IPCC report found that: “If global net negative CO2 emissions were to be achieved and be sustained, the global CO2-induced surface temperature increase would be gradually reversed, but other climate changes would continue in their current direction for decades to millennia (high confidence). For instance, it would take several centuries to millennia for global mean sea level to reverse course even under large net negative CO2 emissions (high confidence).”
The stark message of the IPCC report is that we were the first generation to be aware of anthropogenic climate change. We missed the opportunity decades ago to prevent a significant temperature rise and in the best-case scenario, with the global adoption of net zero CO2 emissions, we can limit the temperature increase to a 1.5-degree increase in global temperature. This still results in extensive flooding, wildfires, and some island nations’ loss to rising sea levels. It found that the alternatives are worse.
It’s possible that COP26 could lead to some global agreements that result in legislation that will force some environmental change for all of our clients.
Download the IPCC report Climate Change 2021 – The Physical Science Basis.
What Will Climate Change Bring?
- Flooding – businesses in a flood plain or near a river are more likely to need to consider flooding risks and plan for them.
- Extreme heat events – prolonged hot weather can impact infrastructure. Chiller plants may be more expensive to run, for example, and require more energy use. The server room air conditioning or office air conditioning may not always be adequate.
- Fire – wildfire in grasslands and waste facilities is becoming more common due to higher summer temperatures, which may increase some businesses.
ISO 14001 in a World of Climate Change
Climate change is not reversible in our lifetimes, and we will have to live with the consequences of climate change.
Clients with 14001 environmental management systems need to take account of this reality and manage the risks they can foresee.
Government commitments on the back of COP26 are likely, in time this may lead to legislation that must be acknowledged and managed as part of a client environmental management system. The COP26 documents are clear that goals to achieve net-zero will be to switch away from coal, encourage investment in renewables, curb deforestation, and speed up the switch to electric vehicles. Proactive businesses are already setting environmental objectives that move with these goals and make them a key part of their ISO 14001 commitment to continuous improvement.
To reduce your business’ environmental impact and become more environmentally friendly, request a quote today to get your ISO 14001 certificate.
