Electric cars, buses and trucks, marine vessels that use only clean fuels, and planes that fly on clean hydrogen may all seem like scenes from a science fiction movie, but at COP26 in Glasgow, many governments and companies said they had begun working to make it a reality.
At the UN conference in Glasgow, this Wednesday was another day of new announcements and promises, this time mostly related to the development of the transportation sector, which accounts for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Emissions from the sector have more than doubled since 1970, with land-based vehicles accounting for about 80 percent of the increase. UNEP estimates that the global transportation sector is almost entirely powered by fossil fuels.But that could change in the coming decades.
Getting rid of internal combustion engines
At COP26, representatives from more than 100 governments, cities, regions and major businesses signed the Zero Emission Cars and Vans Declaration, which aims to end the sale of internal combustion engines in major markets worldwide by 2035, and globally by 2040. At least 13 countries have pledged to stop selling heavy fossil fuel vehicles by 2040.
Representatives of several cities in Latin America, including Bogota, Cuenca and El Salvador, have set a goal of switching to zero-emission public transportation by 2035.
“The call to decision makers is this: we have to make sure we start a movement to stop selling gasoline and diesel cars by 2035. As far as buses are concerned, that will happen sooner, in 2030. For heavy trucks, it will take longer, until 2040. It is important to get used to the fact that there is a calendar of certain measures needed to move to zero-emission options in all segments. This applies not only to developed economies, but also to developing economies because we know that the worst pollution is there,” said Monica Araya of the Drive Electric Campaign, a global initiative.
Green shipping industry
Steps were also taken today for the shipping industry, with 200 companies in the industry pledging to increase the number of zero-emission marine vessels and fuels by 2030. They also called on governments to develop the necessary regulations and prepare the infrastructure to ensure a fair transition [to a green shipping industry] by 2050.
Nineteen countries have signed the Clydebank Declaration [a city in Scotland] in support of creating zero-emission shipping lanes. It calls for at least six zero-emission marine corridors by the middle of this decade. The declaration also states a commitment to introduce more such corridors by 2030.
In other good news, nine major brands, including Amazon, IKEA, Michelin, Unilever, and Patagonia, have announced that they plan to use zero-carbon ships for all of their ocean freight by 2040.
Breakthrough in aviation
Enterprises in the aviation industry and their major corporate clients also announced a renewal of their Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition, whose goal is to ramp up the use of sustainable aviation fuels. The 80 signatories have now pledged to ensure that green fuels account for 10 percent of global jet fuel demand by 2030.
This “green fuel” is made from environmentally friendly raw materials such as vegetable oil, palm oil waste, and municipal and commercial solid waste. Its chemical composition is very similar to traditional fossil fuels for jet engines. If this goal is achieved, it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 million tons per year and create about 300,000 “green” jobs.
What about solar or electric power? According to Lauren Appink, head of aviation at the World Economic Forum, these energy sources could also be used in the future, but only for short flights.
“There will be, albeit very small, a need for energy that is generated using new technologies such as hydrogen and batteries. In terms of their physical properties, [such energy sources] are difficult and often impossible to use [in aviation]. So clean jet fuel is our only solution to reduce carbon emissions in aviation,” Lauren Appink told the UN News Service.
The expert also announced that the first planes powered by electricity and hydrogen fuel may appear in the sky by 2030.
The text of the draft COP26 agreement is published
In addition to the transportation initiatives, the other big news at Wednesday’s conference was that the conference chairman presented the draft COP-26 agreement, which is expected to be adopted on Friday at the conclusion of the conference.
The document calls for countries to strengthen their national commitments and submit strategies to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2022, which would keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius, as required by the Paris Agreement. The draft calls for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, mentioning for the first time such words as “loss” and “damage” from climate disasters.
“The whole world is watching us closely. So, I’m going to ask you to take up the challenge,” COP26 Chairman Alok Sharma told negotiators during an informal plenary session. He stressed that he was determined to conclude the conference at the end of the day this Friday. This statement of his drew laughter from the audience, since climate talks are notorious for dragging on into the night, or even the next day.
Later that day, Sharma told reporters that the text prepared by his office would be amended and supplemented as delegations discussed its details. He added that the new Glasgow agreement is not a substitute for the Paris Agreement, it only indicates how to implement the commitments made in Paris, and thus sets out more concrete actions in climate finance, mitigation and adaptation.
Civil society: “A text that creates the illusion of action is worse than no text at all.”
Members of the nongovernmental organization Climate Action Network said they welcomed the publication of the draft agreement and its mention of “losses” and “damages” from climate disasters. But these words, according to NGO experts, may remain empty statements, since they are not backed up by real promises to help affected communities. The text, in their view, will do nothing for those who suffer most from floods, cyclones, droughts, and rising sea levels.
Some NGO representatives call the new draft empty rhetoric. They argue that having a text that creates the illusion of action is worse than not having one. Civil society experts hope that in the final version, world leaders will mention the harmfulness of all fossil fuels, not just coal, and demand that the “major polluters” provide financial assistance to developing countries.
Today, Greta Tunberg and other youth activists announced on Twitter that they have sent a petition to the United Nations urging the UN Secretary General to declare a climate emergency, allowing him to send resources and staff to the countries most vulnerable to climate change disasters.