COP26 –THE UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE IN GLASGOW:
- COP26: Decarbonization of South Africa: South Africa is heavily reliant on coal as nearly 90 percent of power generation in South Africa is fueled by coal, making the country one of the heaviest polluter’s per-capita on the planet. The country’s coal-based electricity system provides unreliable power at eye-watering prices, stunting the country’s economic growth. South Africa with over 60 million people is the 12th-largest emitter of carbon in the world;
- COP26: Indigenous Stewardship: According to the World Bank, there are between 370 and 500 million Indigenous Peoples worldwide, in over 90 countries. Although they make up just 5 percent of the global population, they account for about 15 percent of the extreme poor;
- COP26: Anthropogenic Methane Emissions: The Global Methane Pledge at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow was led by the US and the EU, who gathered other 103 countries that combined, account for 46 percent of global methane emissions and represent 70 percent of the world economy. They included several cattle-rich countries like Brazil, Canada, Argentina, and New Zealand. But China, Russia, and India, which together comprise 35 percent of global methane emissions, did not join the coalition; and
- COP26: Deforestation: Here is a fact – the planet’s forests are under threat. Some 36 football fields of forests are hacked, burned, and destroyed every minute. With each forest clearing, about 135 species of animals, plants, and insects lost a day. Although the rate of loss has slowed over the last 30 years, according to the recent State of the World’s Forests report, it hasn’t decreased enough — over 420 million hectares have been destroyed since 1990.