Special Issue: Cop 26: Table of Content

KOSMOS
A Geography & Environment

♦ 17TH DECEMBER 2021 ♦ ISSUE NO. 25 Weekly Gazette
SPECIAL ISSUE: COP 26

TABLE OF CONTENT
FEATURE ARTICLE PLACES IN NEWS
COP26 Aravalli
Osmanabad
KEY TERMS
Daringbadi
Glasgow Financial Alliance For Net Zero (GFANZ)
Anantapur
Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA)
Kulum Village
Infrastructure For Resilient Island States (IRIS)
Haiderpur wetland
One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)
MCQS
Adaptation Fund
CASE STUDY OF THE WEEK
Decarbonizing The Transportation Sector- United
Kingdom (UK)
FEATURE ARTICLE
Featured COP26
#1
MAN- ENVIRONMENT RELATIONS
I ntroduction: A Brief History • 1960s -resurgence of political radicalism in US: Attention was focused on problems
from despoliation of the physical environment.
Of Environmental And Climate • Smith (1977)- radical geography was the geography of the years of “pollution
Negotiations crisis”& of “crisis in the cities”
• Changed the central objective of view on environment: “to place humankind in its
• At the start of the 20th century, climate ecological setting, simply as one of the sentient species”
change was largely seen as an esoteric • It aims at human well being & focus on belief that this is possible only if nature its
study into a theoretical scientific rightful place as a friendly partner in the process of development & growth.
phenomenon. In the latter half of the 20th • It is built on a deep faith that survival of mankind is dependent on the survival of a
healthy & ecologically balanced earth environment.
century, environmental issues entered
THE DEBATE OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
the international and intergovernmental
1. Resource exploitation is inevitable for human survival & in this process, it is inevitable
arena for the first time. that man shall take more than he returns
• In 1972, the first international 2. There is a hope for a better future based on the faith that ultimately the moral
environmental summit took place fibre in human nature shall prevail leading to greater concern for the survival of the
species as against narrow personal gains.
in Stockholm, Sweden. It led both to O Riordan- “ environmentalism is a collage of values & views of the world, a general
the creation of the United Nations patterning of predispositions, being 1st & foremost a social movement, though with
Environment Programme (UNEP) and to political overtones”.
commitments to coordinate global efforts CURRENT MEANING OF ENVIRONMENTALISM
to promote sustainability and safeguard CONSERVATIVE VIEW RADICAL/MANIPULATIVE PERSPECTIVE
the natural environment. Ecocentric Technocentric (Nature as usufruct)
The order of precedence is- God – Nature- The order of precedence is God- Man –
• In 1987 the UN General Assembly adopted Man (God 1st made the Earth (nature) & then Nature
the Environmental Perspective to the man.
Year 2000 and Beyond - a framework to Original Hebrew view of Genesis later adopted
by 19th century European Romanticists.
guide national action and international
Nature provides a metaphor for morality & a The spirit of competition in skill
cooperation on policies and programmes guide to rules of conduct. Man is supposed dictates the terms of ethics & conduct.
aimed at achieving environmentally sound to live with nature preserve the environment, The nature was created for human
development. The Perspective underlined avoid wastefulness & recognize the essential exploitation & man is primary and
unity of sentient existence. nature is secondary, so man creates his
the relationship between environment own standards of morality.
and development and for the first time “Environmentalism seeks to embrace both worldviews: Indeed it is the constant
introduced the notion of sustainable interaction between these positions hat gives environmentalism its special dynamic
development. qualities”- O Riordan.
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• In 1988, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established which produced itsfirst assessment
report in 1990. Building on the momentum generated by the IPCC reports, negotiations on what became the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were launched by the UN General Assembly. The Convention
was adopted in 1992 and opened for signatures at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (the
Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• This was the first global agreement on climate change and has near universal membership with 197 Parties.
The objective of the Treaty is to: “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would
prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”
o UNFCCC was the first global agreement that acknowledged the existence of human-induced climate change.
o “Common but differentiated responsibilities” (CBDR) is one of the main principles of the Convention. It is
very relevant in the negotiations and is also known as “differentiation”. The principle implies that, although all
countries are responsible for creating climate change, some are more responsible than others.
• There have been 25 meetings of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP) till 2020. The Glasgow meeting
was the 26th session of the COP, or COP26. These meetings are held every year to construct a global response to
climate change. Each of these meetings produces a set of decisions which are given different names. In the current
case, this has been called the Glasgow Climate Pact.
• Earlier, these meetings have also delivered two treaty-like international agreements, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997
and the Paris Agreement in 2015, which form the global architecture for actions to be taken to tackle climate
change. While the Kyoto Protocol expired in 2020, the Paris Agreement is now the active instrument to fight
climate change.
Important Issues at CoP26 –The Agenda

What Did We Need To Achieve At COP26?
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COP26 Outcomes
What happened at COP26?
• Decisions in Glasgow fall under the three UN climate treaties: the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (the COP), the Kyoto Protocol (the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties
to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP)), and the Paris Agreement (the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the
Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA)). The Glasgow Climate Pact is manifested across all three.
• The Glasgow Climate Pact preambleconfirms the centrality of a sustainable recovery from Covid-19 and solidarity
with vulnerable parties to global efforts to tackle climate change. It also reaffirmed the continuation of key
principles from the Paris Agreement and previous COPs, including multilateralism, and the importance of nature
and biodiversity to climate action, as well as human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities,
migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations, gender equality, empowerment of
women and intergenerational equity.
Key Outcomes of COP26
1)
2)
adaptation is like
acknowledgement of
irreversibility of CC
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3)
4)
5) The Paris Rulebook

The Paris Agreement sets out goals, targets and principles, but without details on how to achieve them. Shortly after COP21,
governments began negotiating rules governing the implementation of the agreement – termed the ‘Paris Rulebook’. While
most of the rulebook was agreed in 2018, several issues were unresolved – most notably the rules governing international
carbon markets (anticipated in Article 6), common time frames for NDCs, and transparency.
What is this issue?
• Article 6 of the Paris Agreement relates to the development of an international carbon market to help
accelerate the energy transition and lead to an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Creating a transparent, trustworthy international framework can both enable trading and encourage
more robust domestic markets, although national carbon trading can proceed without one.
What was the outcome at COP26 on this issue?
• The three constituent parts of Article 6 were agreed, covering voluntary cooperation, a new carbon
crediting mechanism, and non-market approaches. Within those parts, consensus was finally found on
the major political issues that had divided Parties for many years: how to avoid double counting of
Article 6 emissions reductions; use of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) creditsand adaptation finance.
Clean Development Mechanism: It allows a country with an emission- reduction/limitation commitment
under the Kyoto Protocol to implement emission reduction projects in developing countries and count
such emission reductions as part of its own efforts
• That consensus will see host Parties clarifying the intended use of credits generated by the new
mechanism, a limited carryover of CDM credits for use against NDCs, and voluntary contributions to
adaptation finance where cooperation takes place between Parties.
• This paves the way for an operational Article 6, initiating transition from the old Kyoto Protocol regime
to the instruments of the Paris Agreement.
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What is this issue?
• Currently, the submitted NDCs do not have common reporting time frames. Common time frames would
support the ratcheting up of mitigation ambition by creating opportunities to compare NDCs and track
overall progress made towards limiting warming to 1.5°C.
• In Glasgow, countries were encouraged to use common timeframes for their national climate
Common commitments. It was agreed in the final text that parties would be encouraged to set five-year time
Time frames. This means that new NDCs that countries put forward in 2025 should have an end-date of 2035,
Frames in 2030 they will put forward commitments with a 2040 end-date, and so on.
• Aligning NDC targets’ dates around five-year cycles will hopefully help spur ambition and action in the
near term, facilitate better understanding of global progress, ensure countries take action over the same
time period, and keep pace with the Paris Agreement’s five-year cycle to strengthen their plans.
• The use of the term “encouraged,” rather than stronger language, may however weaken the impact of
this decision.
What is this issue?
• As the Paris Agreement is not legally binding, without corresponding enforcement mechanisms,
transparency is critical to fostering trust and progress. Starting from 2024, the Paris Agreement requires
each party to submit a biennial transparency report, with information on their greenhouse gas emissions
and progress on their NDC.
• Previously, developed and developing country Parties had reported using different systems to different
Enhanced levels of detail. From December 2024 onwards, all Parties have common reporting requirements.
Transparency
Framework • There was a requirement to reach agreement at COP26 on standardization for reporting on mitigation
and finance, including specifying Common Tabular Formats and Common Reporting Tables.
• All countries agreed to submit information about their emissions and financial, technological and
capacity-building support using a common and standardized set of formats and tables. This will make
reporting more transparent, consistent and comparable. This is a boon for the global community to
better hold countries accountable for what they say they will do.
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India At COP 26
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India’s Climate Promises And How Far India Is On Track To Meet Them
Of the five-point targets announced by India, achieving net-zero emission status by 2070 is the one whose roadmap
is not available right now. This promise seems to have been made primarily to satisfy the international demand.
At the same time, 2070 is a long way away — and there is plenty of time to plan a roadmap to achieve that target.
The other four targets have to be achieved in a more immediate timeframe, by 2030.
• According to the IPCC, global emissions must halve by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. Given the enormous
inequity in emissions in the world, the OECD countries must then reach Net Zero by 2030, China by 2040 and
India and the rest of the world by 2050.
Net-zero
• However, the targets for Net Zero are both inequitable and unambitious. According to this, OECD countries
have declared a Net Zero target for 2050 and China for 2060. Therefore, India’s Net Zero target of 2070 is an
extension of this and cannot be argued against.
• However, this combined Net Zero goal will not keep the world below 1.5°C temperature rise and it means that
OECD countries must frontload their emission reductions by 2030. Most importantly, China which will occupy
33 per cent of the remaining budget, must be asked to reduce its emissions drastically in this decade. China
alone will add 126 Gt in this decade.
• Reducing emissions intensity— is already part of India’s official NDCs under the Paris Agreement. In that NDC,
India had promised to reduce its ‘emissions intensity’, or emissions per unit of GDP, by 33-35% from 2005
levels by 2030. India now enhanced this to 45%.
Emission • According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)’s observations, India has achieved 25 per cent of
intensity emission intensity reduction of GDP between 2005 -2016, and is on the path to achieve more than 40 per
cent by 2030. But this means that India will have to take up enhanced measures to reduce emissions from
the transport sector, the energy-intensive industrial sector, especially cement, iron and steel, non-metallic
minerals and chemicals. It would also require India to reinvent its mobility systems so that we can move
people, not vehicles — augment public transport in our cities and improve thermal efficiency of our housing.
• The third promise made in India’s NDC, about increase in forest cover, did not find a mention in India’s new
Forest commitments. And that is the only target India is struggling to achieve. In the NDC, India has promised to
cover: Not create an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through forest and tree
addressed cover by 2030. Although forest cover has been growing, according to official data, the pace of growth so far
has been far from commensurate with what is required to meet the target.
• Increasing the renewable mix in installed electricity capacity — is already part of India’s official NDCs under
the Paris Agreement. In that INDC, India had promised that at least 40% of its installed electrical capacity in
2030 would come through non fossil-fuel-based energy sources. India now enhanced this to 50%.
• India had initially set out to install 20 GW of solar power capacity by 2020. That was later raised to 100 GW by
2022. Targets for wind and biogas were later added, making it a renewable energy power capacity target of
175 GW for 2022. Two years ago, India enhanced this to 450 GW for 2030. None of this was ever part of the
Renewable NDC, but publicly announced targets India had set for itself.
Matrix
• In Glasgow, Prime Minister said India would have 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity by 2030.
mtlb ye bhi achieve Non-fossil fuels include not just renewables like solar or wind, but also nuclear and hydro, which together make
ho jayega up over 50 GW right now. Achieving the 450 GW target for renewable energy, therefore, would automatically
achieve the target of 500 GW for non-fossil fuel energy sources.
• Also, installed nuclear energy is in the process of a significant ramping-up. Installed nuclear power capacity is
set to increase to 22 GW by 2031 from the current 7 GW.
• The fifth target announced was new. The PM said India would ensure it reduces 1 billion tonnes from its
projected emissions between now and 2030.
• This is the first time India has talked about making a reduction in its absolute emissions. All previous
formulations used to be in terms of emission intensity, which are emissions per unit of GDP.
• The 1-billion-tonne reduction promise and the emissions intensity target, however, seem to be inextricably
linked. The latter target too is about bending the emissions trajectory. It seeks to ensure that while India’s
GDP as well as emissions would continue to grow, the rate of growth of emissions would be slower than that
of GDP, so that more GDP is created for the same amount of emissions.
• Achieving the emission intensity targets would mean that India would be emitting far less than in the
Absolute business-as-usual scenario. The numbers are not immediately evident, but this saving in emissions could form
emissions a substantial chunk of the 1-billion-tonne reduction now promised. It is possible it may even exceed 1 billion
tonnes. The promise to reduce 1 billion tonnes of emissions could, therefore, be another way of reiterating
the emission intensity target.
• India’s current CO2 emissions (2021) are 2.88 Gt. According to CSE’s projections, India’s generation in a
business-as-usual scenario will be 4.48 Gt in 2030. According to this target, India will cut its carbon emission
by 1Gt and therefore, our emissions in 2030 will be 3.48 Gt. This means that India has set an ambitious goal
to cut its emissions by 22 per cent.
• In terms of the carbon budget: With this new NDC announcement (November 2, 2021), India will occupy: 9%
of the remaining IPCC 400 Gt carbon budget for 1.5°C by 2030; 8.4 per cent of world emissions in this decade;
and 4.2 per cent of world emissions between 1870-2030.
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The Road ahead for India
• India has accepted a massive transformation of our energy systems, which will be compliant with the new climate change
goals. We must ensure that growth is equitable and that the poor in the country are not denied their right to development
in this new energy future.
• The per capita emissions of India remain low, because we have massive numbers of people who still need energy for
their development. Now, in the future, as we have set ourselves the goal to grow without pollution, we must work on the
increasing clean, but affordable, energy for the poor.
• As CO2 emissions accumulate in the atmosphere — average residence time is 150-200 years — and it is this stock of
emissions that “force” temperatures to rise, India has committed not to add to this burden. This natural debt of the already
industrialized world and China now needs to be paid for. And this is why, Prime Minister is correct in saying that this requires
massive transfer of funds and that these funds must be measurable. It is ironical that climate change funding remains non-
transparent and without verification.
Major Gaps That Remain Post COP 26

Below, we take a look at the major gaps in international progress on climate change going into COP26, and where they
stand now.
• Weak 2030 targets
o The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C this century, and to pursue
efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C. Catastrophic impacts will be unleashed beyond this point, such as sea level
rise and more intense and frequent natural disasters.
o But new projections from Climate Action Tracker show even if all COP26 pledges are met, the planet is on track
to warm by 2.1°C – or 2.4°C if only 2030 targets are met.
o Technically, the 1.5°C limit is still within reach because, under the Glasgow pact, countries are asked to update
their 2030 targets in a year’s time. However, “the pulse of 1.5°C is weak”.
• Phase down, not out

o Instead of phase out, the countries agreed too much weaker commitment to phase down the fossil fuel based
energy production. Despite the historic call in the Glasgow Climate Pact for a “phase-down” in coal power,
some coal-reliant countries have indicated that they will not completely stop using coal until the 2040s or later.
o Moreover, under the rules for global carbon trading (under Article 6), the fossil fuel industry will be allowed to
“offset” its carbon emissions and carry on polluting. Combined with the “phasing down” change, this will see
fossil fuel emissions continue.
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• Climate finance
o The $100 billion that industrialized countries are supposed to provide annually for developing countries from
2020 on, will not be reached until 2023. Countries from the Global South called that fraud. This breach of
trust clouded further negotiations on a new financial target for the period after 2025. The African Group
insisted on a sum of between at least $750 billion and $1.3 trillion, while the industrialized countries remained
silent on the figure to be targeted.
o Although the Adaptation Fund, which was established in 2001 to finance adaptation efforts in developing
countries, received $356 million in new support at COP26, funding levels remain woefully inadequate. And
though the pact presses rich nations to at least double finance for adaptation by 2025, this remains billions of
dollars below the projected costs.
• Disappointment over Loss & Damage (L&D)
o Nations failed to agree on whether to create a “loss and damage” fund, a kind of insurance policy that would
compensate climate-vulnerable countries for damage resulting from emissions that they did not create.
o Instead, the pact includes a promise for future dialogue about increased financial support and technical
assistance to mitigate climate-related damage.
o Civil society observers called the outcome a “betrayal” of millions of people already suffering from climate
change. Developing countries expressed “extreme disappointment” that no clear plan for future financing of
loss and damage was agreed.
• Interests of developing countries negated
o From the perspective of developing countries, which are hard hit by climate change, the pledges and actions
are inadequate. The damage and consequences of climate change and urgently needed adaptation measures,
and the development of renewable energy structures is insufficiently supported.
• The concept of climate justice
o Climate change is about the past, the present and about the future. We cannot erase the fact that certain
countries (the US, EU-27, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and Russia, and now China) have consumed roughly
70% of the carbon budget — the space in the atmosphere that is available to limit the temperature rise to
1.5°C.
o But some 70% of the world’s people still need the right to development. As these countries grow, they will add
emissions and take the world to catastrophic levels of temperature rise. It is for this reason climate justice is
not an add-on concept for some, but the pre-requisite for an effective and ambitious agreement.
o The disagreements over adaptation funds, L&D funds etc shows the lack of developed nations in agreeing to
the CBDR-RC principle of UNFCCC which is meant to promote climate justice.
• Ignored opportunity to integrate the ocean into the climate agenda
o Covering about 72% of the planet’s surface and miles deep, the ocean is the world’s largest and most productive
bioreactor. Since industrialization, it has absorbed most of the excess heat and carbon dioxide from burning
fossil fuels: were it not for the ocean, most of the earth would already be uninhabitable for humans. The ocean
is sick—or angry, as they say in coastal communities, angry with excess energy as well as increasingly acidic.
• Inclusivity issue
o The COP meeting drew criticism that many representatives of different non-governmental groups — including
researchers — were prevented from observing the discussions.
o There were nearly 12,000 such representatives categorized into nine constituencies, such as business, young
people and researchers. For much of the conference only one representative from each constituency was
allowed to observe negotiations inside the rooms. At previous COP summits many more observers have been
permitted.
Looking Ahead
• If there is to be any chance of averting the most disastrous impacts of climate change, it is vital that governments
now go on to strengthen their NDCs ahead of COP27, and begin putting in place robust policies and regulatory
frameworks to drive implementation.
• It is also crucial that the implementation of pledges made outside the formal remits of the UNFCCC – like those on
reducing deforestation and phasing out various types of fossil fuels – is monitored. Delivery, implementation and
accountability are key.
• From the perspectives of developing countries, and for many civil society representatives, sufficient trust has
not been generated to create global solidarity, particularly around financial flows for adaptation and for loss and
damage. These issues will only increase in importance, and much more will need to be done to address the very
substantial needs of climate-vulnerable countries.
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• The next 12 months will see the completion of Sixth Assessment Reports (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, with the Synthesis Report expected to be released ahead of COP27. The contributions to AR6 are
expected to further detail the impacts, mitigation efforts and adaption needs of climate change, and give further
evidence of the need to accelerate action in all these areas.
Annexure- I: A Timeline of All the COPs
Conference of the Parties (COP)
COP 1 1995: Berlin, Germany It voiced concerns about the adequacy of countries’ abilities to meet commitments
under the Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (BSTA) and the Subsidiary Body
for Implementation (SBI).
COP 2 1996:Geneva, Switzerland Several scientific assessments were carried out like consideration of the second
assessment report of the IPCC and the economic and social dimensions of climate change.
COP 3 1997: Kyoto, Japan Parties to the FCCC adopted the Kyoto Protocol- included Joint Implementation, Clean
Development Mechanisms (CDM) and Emissions Trading.
COP 4 1998: Buenos Aires, Argentina Parties adopted a 2-year “Plan of Action” to advance efforts and to devise mechanisms
for implementing the Kyoto Protocol
COP 5 1999: Bonn, Germany Negotiations centered on enabling decisions for completing the outstanding details of
the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
COP 6 2001: Bonn, Germany The agreements included the “flexibility mechanisms” including emissions trading,
joint implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Also led to
establishment of three new funds (1) a fund for climate change (2) a least-developed-
country fund ) a Kyoto Protocol adaptation fund.
COP 7 2001: Marrakech, Morocco The guidelines for flexible mechanisms of joint implementation, CDM markets, emissions
trading was agreed upon. It came to be known as the Marrakesh Accord.
COP 8 2002: New Delhi, India Emphasised on adaptation measures and stressed that poverty alleviation and
development were the utmost priority of developing countries.
COP 9: 2003, Milan, Italy The parties agreed to use the Adaptation Fund.
COP 10 2004: Buenos Aires, Argentina To promote developing countries better adapt to climate change, the Buenos Aires Plan
of Action was adopted.
COP 11 2005: Montreal, Canada Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 1). The event marked the entry into
force of the Kyoto Protocol. The Montreal Action Plan was an agreement to extend the
life of the Kyoto Protocol beyond its 2012 expiration date.
COP 12 2006 : Nairobi, Kenya The parties adopted a five-year plan of work to support climate change adaptation by
developing countries.
COP 13 2007: Bali, Indonesia Agreement on a timeline and structured negotiation on the post-2012 framework was
achieved with the adoption of the Bali Action.
COP 14 2008, Poznan Poland Principles for the financing to help the poorest nations cope with climate change and
a mechanism to incorporate forest protection into the efforts. The Poznan Strategic
Programme on Technology Transfer.
COP 15 2009: Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen Accord drafted. Developed countries pledge up to USD 30 billion in fast-
start finance for the period 2010-2012.
COP 16 2010: Cancún, Mexico The outcome of the summit was an agreement adopted by the states’ parties that called
for the US$100 billion per annum “Green Climate Fund”, and a “Climate Technology
Centre” and network.
COP 17 2011, Durban, South Africa Negotiations on a legally binding deal comprising all countries, to be adopted in 2015,
governing the period post 2020.
COP 18 2012, Doha, Qatar The Doha Climate Gateway contained: The Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol.
COP18 also launched a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
COP 19 2013, Warsaw, Poland The term Intended Nationally Determined Contributions was coined in Warsaw.The Warsaw
Framework for REDD Plus and the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage.
COP 20 2014, Lima, Peru An agreement was reached in which all countries will specify their objectives under INDC.
COP 21 2015, Paris, France Negotiations resulted in the adoption of the Paris Agreement on governing climate
change reduction measures from 2020.
COP 22 2016, Marrakech, Morocco The conference incorporated the twelfth meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol
(CMP12), and the first meeting of the parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1).
A focal issue of COP 22 was that of water scarcity, water cleanliness, and water-related
sustainability, a major problem in the developing world.
COP 23 2017, Bonn, Germany ‘Fiji Momentum for Implementation,’ which outlined the steps that need to be taken
in 2018 to make the Paris Agreement operational and launched the Talanoa Dialogue.
COP 24 2018, Katowice, Poland The conference agreed on rules to implement the Paris Agreement.
COP 25 2019, Madrid, Spain Ended without any outcome on the creation of a system of credits for reduction of
emissions.
Passed Chile-Madrid Time for Action” declaration.
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• much more will need to be done to address the very substantial needs of climate-vulnerable countries.
• The next 12 months will see the completion of Sixth Assessment Reports (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, with the Synthesis Report expected to be released ahead of COP27. The contributions to AR6 are
expected to further detail the impacts, mitigation efforts and adaption needs of climate change, and give further
evidence of the need to accelerate action in all these areas.
COP26 – In Nutshell
Agenda of COP26
Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach as committed under Paris Agreement
Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
Mobilise $100bn in climate finance per year, Adaptation fund, Los and Damage funds
Work together to deliver – Global collaboration, finalise the Paris Rulebook
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KEY TERMS
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)
• Why in news: 1st week of COP26 saw the launch of GFANZ, which said its members – some 450 firms in 45
countries – had committed $130tn towards the net-zero transition.
• Objective: To bring together leading net-zero initiatives from across the financial system to accelerate the transition
to net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.
• Existing and new net zero finance initiatives will be part of the Alliance. They comprise the Net Zero Asset Managers
Initiative, the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance and the newly launched Net-Zero Banking Alliance.
• How it operates? All GFANZ members must use science-based guidelines to reach net zero emissions, cover all
emission scopes, include 2030 interim target setting, and commit to transparent reporting and accounting in line
with the UN Race to Zero criteria. It is not meant to withdraw funding from carbon-intensive industries altogether.
Instead, GFANZ members will engage climate experts, the NGO community, and governments, to develop sectoral
pathways to achieve climate economy – one that is low-carbon and, most importantly, climate resilient.
• What is so special about it? GFANZ leverages the power of large financial institutions to align with the 1.5 degrees
Celsius goal of Paris. It will also catalyze strategic and technical coordination on steps firms need to take to align
with a net zero future.
• Criticism: GFANZ agreements are largely voluntary, the headline $130tn figure was “not a fresh pool of money and
most of it isn’t allocatable” & it also included home mortgages and money to fund fossil-fuel infrastructure. And
there is lot of skepticism about the climate pledge of financial firms as banks continue to help arrange loans and
bond-sales for fossil-fuel companies.
Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA)

• Why in news: The FACT (Forest, Agriculture and Commodity
Trade) Dialogue is hosted by the COP26 Presidency and
supported by the TFA, to accelerate the transition towards
more sustainable land-use practices
• The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) 2020 was founded in
2012 at Rio+20 after the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)
committed in 2010 to zero net deforestation for palm oil,
soy, beef, and pulp and paper supply chains by 2020.
• Objectives: 1) To mobilize and coordinate actions by
governments, the private sector and civil society to
reduce tropical deforestation related to key agricultural
commodities by 2020. 2) To realize sustainable rural
development and better growth opportunities based on reduced deforestation in tropical forest countries.
• TFA is funded by the governments of Norway, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Its secretariat is hosted at
the World Economic Forum.
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• Famous initiatives by TFA: Marrakesh Declaration for the Sustainable Development of the Oil Palm Sector in Africa
in 2016, TFA 2020 Colombia Alliance and Peatland Restoration initiative in Indonesia.
Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS)
• Why in news: PM Modi has launched the IRIS initiative at COP 26, saying ‘it will give a new hope, a new confidence
and satisfaction of doing something for the most vulnerable countries facing the biggest threat from climate change.
• Objective: IRIS aims to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in achieving sustainable development with
a systematic approach to resilient, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure through technical support, knowledge
sharing, partnerships and technical collaborations.
• Need for IRIS: SIDS are the most vulnerable regions to climate change on the earth. Every infrastructure of SIDS is
extremely critical to them. Hence, their infrastructure should be climate proofed and resilient to disasters.
• IRIS will be a part of the India-UK Coalition for Disaster Resilient infrastructure (CDRI). CDRI was launched by
PM Modi at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit & it is an international coalition of countries, UN agencies,
multilateral development banks, the private sector etc. that aim to promote disaster-resilient infrastructure.
• IRIS will be implemented from 2022 to 2030 in 58 countries located across the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian
Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea regions.
• IRIS is much along the lines of SAMOA Pathway (SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action), 2014 which is working
towards the sustainable development of SIDS through genuine and durable partnerships.
One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)

• Why in news: OSOWOG was jointly released by
PM Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at
the COP26, Glasgow.
• OSOWOG brings together the International Solar
Alliance and the UK’s green grid initiative and
complements India’s focus on harnessing the sun’s
energy.
• The vision behind the OSOWOG is ‘The Sun Never
Sets’ and is a constant at some geographical
location, globally, at any given point of time.
• Aim: It targets to interconnect solar energy
infrastructure under the initiative of trans-national electricity grids that will be developed to deliver solar power.
• Significance: With OSOWOG we can access clean energy at all places, it will address the issue of reliability of
supply from solar power plants (which do not operate after the sun has set) by utilizing the day-night gaps between
the countries, it will also address the issue of high cost of energy storage which in effect will reduce the costs of
the energy transition.
• Challenges: Requires huge capital investments for setting up trans-national grids, geopolitical implications and
the mechanism of cost-sharing will also be challenging as participating countries are both rich and poor nations.
14
KOSMOS
Adaptation Fund
The Adaptation Fund was established to finance concrete
adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries
that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol and are particularly
vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
Since 2010, the Adaptation Fund has committed more than US$
850 million for climate change adaptation and resilience projects
and programmes, including more than 123 concrete, localized
projects in the most vulnerable communities of developing
countries around the world with 28 million total beneficiaries.
It also pioneered Direct Access, empowering countries to
access funding and develop projects directly through accredited
national implementing entities.
Adaptation Fund Strategic Pillars and cross cutting themes
15
KOSMOS
CASE STUDY OF THE WEEK

Decarbonizing The Transportation Sector- United Kingdom (UK)
Context: COP 26 was the first climate conference to emphasize the benefits of accelerating zero emissions transportation
and Drive Electric partners showed up in full force.
Several Initiatives Taken By United Kingdom To Decarbonize Its Transportation Sector

• In July 2021, UK government- first in the world- announced its Transport Decarbonisation Plan, a blueprint to
reduce the transport sector’s CO2 emissions to net-zero. It is highly ambitious and a holistic strategy that covers
almost all modes of transportation. It includes the following:
• In January 2021, UK unveiled a national electrically-assisted bike subsidy programme- If as much car travel as
possible is replaced with E-bikes, this could save up to 30 million tonnes of carbon emission per year, equivalent to
50% of current CO2 emissions from cars.
• Clean air day campaign, 2018: UK’s largest annual air campaign in a day of mass public engagement, including an
information portal, face-to-face activities, press and social media.
Benefits From Decarbonisation Of Transportation Sector
Where it can be used?

It can be used in topics related to Paper 1 (Climate Change, Sustainable development of cities, Problems of Urbanization),
Paper 2 (Urbanization, Sustainable Growth) and GS 1 (Urbanization).
16
KOSMOS
PLACES IN NEWS
1. Aravalli • Hot semi-arid type of climate (Koppen, BShw) found
in the district.
• Why in News: There has been prevalence of climate
smart agricultural practices among the smallholder • Red soil and vertisol are the most common soils here.
farmers in the district. • Agriculture is the main occupation here. Important
crops: Paddy and Groundnut.
• It’s a district in Gujarat & situated in the heart of the
Aravalli hill range. 5. Kulum Village
• Vatrak and Meshwo Rivers (tributaries of Sabarmati)
• Why in News: Ice stupas are helping to preserve
flow through the district. water for agriculture and plantation in the villages of
• Climate: Monsoon type with dry winters (Koppen, arid Ladakh.
Cwg), Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous. • It is located near north of Leh, Ladakh.
• Red and medium black soils are found in the district. • Cold desert type of climate is found in this region.
• Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main • Sandy to sandy loam soils are found here.
occupations here. Important crops: maize, wheat & • Agriculture and animal rearing are the main
cotton. occupations here.
2. Osmanabad • Gujjars, Bakarwals and Changpas are some of the
major tribes found in this region.
• Why in News: Farmers in the district are learning
climate adaptation techniques through open sky 6. Haiderpur Wetland
schools. • Why in News: Recognized as India’s 47th Ramsar Site.
• It’s a district in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra • It’s a man-made wetland & located within the
& lies on the Deccan plateau. boundaries of Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar
• Manjira River (a tributary of Godavari) and Terna Pradesh.
River (a tributary of Manjira), are the important rivers • It is fed by the Ganges and its tributary Solani River.
in the district. • Important fauna here includes Gharial (IUCN, Critically
• Black soils, derived from Deccan Trap Basalt are found Endangered) and Hog deer (IUCN, Endangered).
in the district. • It lies in the strategic Central Asian Flyway & important
• Agriculture is the main occupation here. Important migratory avifauna here includes Bar-headed goose,
crops: sugarcane and cotton. Ruddy Shelduck and Eurasian Wigeon.
• Koli Mahadev, Dongar Koli, Pardhi, Advichincher and
Thakur tribes found here.
3. Daringbadi
• Why in News: Registered temperatures as low as 7⁰ C
due to prevailing cold wave conditions.
• It is a hill station in Kandhmal district of Odisha &
widely known as ‘Kashmir of Odisha’.
• Rushikulya River originates in the Daringbadi hills of
the Eastern Ghats range.
• Tropical moist deciduous forests found here.
Important species: teak, sal and bamboo.
• Turmeric is widely grown here. Especially, the
Kandhamal Haldi (GI tagged).
• Kondha tribe is found in this region.
4. Anantapur
• Why in News: It witnessed excessive rainfall and
floods in November due to impact of climate change,
which otherwise a dry region.
• It’s a district in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra
Pradesh.
• Penna, Chithravathi, Papagni and Swarnamukhi are
the important Rivers in the district.
17
KOSMOS
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQS)

Q 1. Consider the following pairs. Q 4. With reference to ‘Climate Smart Agriculture ‘,
Event Significant Outcome which of the following statements given below is/
are correct?
COP 16 Green Climate Fund
1. CSA is an approach for developing agricultural
COP 21 Paris Agreement strategies to secure sustainable food security
COP 23 Talona Dialogue under climate change.
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly 2. CSA would promote innovative, adaptive
matched? farming communities working towards restoring
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only and conserving soil health.
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) All of the above 3. It includes practices like farm ponds, bundings,
Q 2. Which of following is/are considered as ‘Short-lived trenching, mulching and other practices for
climate pollutants (SLCPs)’? conservation of soil moisture.
1. Black carbon 2. Methane Select the correct answer using the code given below.
3. Carbon dioxide 4. Hydro fluorocarbons (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only
Select the correct answer using the code given (c) 2 and 3 only (d) All of the above
below. Q 5. With reference to “Godavari river” which of the
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1, 2 and 3 only following are incorrect?
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only (d) All of the above 1. The Godavari River rises from the Western Ghats
Q 3. With reference to ‘Haiderpur wetland’, which of the in Satara district of Maharashtra.
following statements given below is/are correct? 2. The Pravara, Manjira and Maner are left bank
1. It is located in the state of Bihar. tributaries of Godavari river.
2. It is the only man-made wetland in India with Select the correct answer using the code given below.
the Ramsar tag. (a) 1 only
Select the correct answer using the code given below. (b) 2 only
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (d) None of the above
Answers To MCQs:
Sabari are important left bank tributaries of Godavari.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Pravara, Manjira and Maner are right bank tributaries whereas Purna, Pranhita, Indravathi and

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Godavari River rises from Trimbakeshwar in the Nashik district of Maharashtra.
Explanation:
Answer: c 5.
conservation of soil moisture.
Statement 3 is correct: It includes practices like farm ponds, bundings, trenching, mulching and other practices for
conserving soil health.
Statement 2 is correct: CSA would promote innovative, adaptive farming communities working towards restoring and
climate change.
Statement 1 is correct: CSA is an approach for developing agricultural strategies to secure sustainable food security under
4. Answer: d
Sanctuary is also a man-made wetland with the Ramsar tag.
Statement 2 is incorrect: It is not the only man-made wetland in India with the Ramsar tag. For example, Bhindawas Wildlife
Statement 1 is incorrect: It is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
3. Answer: d
tropospheric ozone, and hydro fluorocarbons. While, CO2 is considered as a long lived climate pollutant (LLCP).
SLCPs have relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere – a few days to a few decades. SLCPs include black carbon, methane,
2. Answer: c
Determined Contributions by 2020.
2017: COP23, Bonn (Germany): Launched the Talona Dialogue to help countries implement and enhance their Nationally
measures from 2020.
2015: COP21 (Paris) - Negotiations resulted in the adoption of the Paris Agreement on governing climate change reduction
established.
2010: COP 16 (Cancun) - The Green Climate Fund, the Technology Mechanism and the Cancun Adaptation Framework were
1. Answer: d
18
KOSMOS
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KOSMOS

A Geography & Environment

SPECIAL ISSUE: COP 26

Important Issues at CoP26 –The Agenda

5) The Paris Rulebook

Major Gaps That Remain Post COP 26

• Phase down, not out

Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA)

One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)

CASE STUDY OF THE WEEK

Several Initiatives Taken By United Kingdom To Decarbonize Its Transportation Sector

Where it can be used?

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQS)

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