Was COP26 Critical for the Implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement?

Abstract

The most pertinent issue humanity faces is climate change. Nations have recognised this and have convened and debated at length. Many treaties have been signed, and of which, the most current and important is the Paris Agreement. Adopted in 2015 and entered into force on 4th of November 2016, the Paris Agreement represents a landmark in climate change processes. The agreement was the first time nations agreed on undertaking ambitious efforts to combat and adapt to climate change. However, substantive portions of the Paris Agreement were not concretised. In the following six years, five COPs have taken place, with the most recent being COP 26 held in Glasgow in November 2021. After COP 26, the Paris Agreement is finally fully operational. While compromises on many issues have been reached, upon closer inspection, glaring loopholes and gaps still exist within the Paris Agreement. In particular, the existence of loopholes and issues found in Article 6 could potentially undermine its implementation. Separately, the failure to provide vulnerable nations with climate financing and the lack of strong commitments promised by nations undermine the effectiveness of the Paris Agreement. This chapter will discuss the issues present and calls for greater action to be taken by nations to curb climate change.