It's time for action at COP26 as crucial climate talks enter their second day.
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After an opening day marked by "doomsday" rhetoric, it's time for action at COP26.
More than 100 countries, including EU nations, have just announced a new plan to curb methane emissions by 30%.
Several other major deals are being signed on Tuesday, notably an agreement by more than 100 world leaders to end deforestation by 2030.
If you weren't able to follow along yesterday, here are the 5 key takeouts from day 1.
Here is what you need to know as crucial climate talks enter their second day:
- The world leaders' summit concludes today. After outlining their national commitments and setting out broad outlines of agreements, they will let diplomats and other government officials hammer out the details.
- The British presidency is facing criticism about accessibility and inclusiveness at the conference. Civil society groups have complained of "unprecedented restrictions" to negotiations, while an Israeli minister using a wheelchair was unable to access the summit yesterday.
- A delegation of 12 mayors from some of the world's major cities have called for action to tackle climate change as they travelled to Glasgow for the COP26 summit.
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US, EU to fund renewable energy plan in South Africa
The United States and several European countries plan to provide funds and expertise to help South Africa ditch coal and roll out more renewable energy.
German officials said South Africa will receive about $8.5 billion in loans and grants over five years to manage the country's transition away from coal-fired power plants, which are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.
South Africa gets about 90% of its electricity from coal-fired plants.
With AP
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Jeff Bezos pledges €1.7 billion to 'restore nature' at COP26
The Amazon founder told delegates in Glasgow his trip to space showed him how "fragile" the natural world is.COP26 methane pledges 'falling short', says climate campaigner
“World leaders are right to target methane emissions but today’s announcement falls short of the 45% reduction that the UN says is necessary to keep global warming below 1.5C,” said Murray Worthy, Gas Campaign Leader at Global Witness.
“The single most effective way of stopping methane emissions is also incredibly simple - phase out the use of climate-wrecking fossil fuels,” he added.
US, EU hosted meeting on infrastructure financing
US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosted a meeting on Tuesday of G7 nations and other countries that would benefit from spending on infrastructure to tackle the climate crisis.
Biden says "The choices we make today, and I literally mean today, resonate for decades to come.''
Over 100 countries sign pledge to cut methane emissions
READ: Queen Elizabeth gets candid with world leaders at COP26
The 95-year-old monarch called on world leaders to 'rise above the politics of the moment.'Indigenous group hails deforestation deal
He called for governments and businesses to recognise the effective role of indigenous communities play in preventing deforestation.
Take our poll on the private sector's role in the fight against climate change:
Ecuador to expand Galapagos marine reserve
Ecuador will expand the marine reserve around the Galapagos Islands by almost half, President Guillermo Lasso told the COP26 conference on Tuesday.
Lasso said his government has agreed with the fishery, tourism and conservation sectors to establish a new marine reserve in the Galapagos Islands of 60,000 km2.
Lasso said this would be added to an existing marine reserve of about 130,000 km2.
The Galapagos Islands are considered one of the world’s biodiversity jewels.
Israeli minister in wheelchair attends COP26 after accessibility issues on Day 1
Israel’s energy minister, who uses a wheelchair, was able to attend COP26 on Tuesday, a day after police prevented her from reaching the venue.
Energy Minister Karine Elharrar arrived at the climate summit in Glasgow alongside Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, using a blue ramp to enter the building, according to footage sent by Bennett's office.
A spokeswoman for Elharrar said on Monday that she wasn’t able to attend the conference after police officers at a checkpoint did not let her vehicle with the wheelchair through.
Even though conference organisers knew she required an accessible entrance, the minister’s car was kept from approaching for two hours, after which she was offered a ride on a shuttle — which wasn’t wheelchair accessible.
With AP
Cyprus working on regional plan to taclke climate change in east Mediterranean
Cyprus’ president said his government was working with neighbouring countries to come up with a regional action plan aimed at tackling climate change in the East Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Nicos Anastasiades told leaders at COP26 that 240 scientists from the Middle East and Europe were already working to prepare policy recommendations, measures and “specific solutions” for the region that has been classified a “global climate change hot-spot.”
Anastasiades said in the next few months, a meeting of regional ministers will precede a leaders’ summit that will endorse the action plan and set up monitoring mechanisms to ensure “implementation of our commitments.”
With AP
UK receives 'Fossil of the Day' awards for failing to organise inclusive COP
Australia received the second “fossil” for recently approving three new coal projects, the group said.
EU, US to announce major methane deal
The European Union and the United States are set to announce a wide-ranging plan to curb methane emissions.
The plan would tighten methane regulations for the oil and gas sector and crack down on leaks from pipelines.
A proposed rule would for the first time target emissions from existing oil and gas wells nationwide, rather than focus only on new wells.
With AP
Bezos Earth Fund pledges $2bn to tackle climate crisis
The Bezos Earth Fund pledged $2 billion (€1.72 billion) on Tuesday to tackle climate change through landscape restoration and the transformation of agricultural systems.
“Our commitment today supports a three-fold imperative — we must conserve what we have, restore what we’ve lost, and grow what we need in harmony with nature,” the fund’s founder, Jeff Bezos, said in a statement.
Mayors of world's big cities headed to COP26
A delegation of 12 mayors representing the world's major cities called for action to tackle climate change as they travelled on Monday to Glasgow for the COP26 summit.
The delegation said that world leaders must act now to head off the worst effects of climate change.
It includes the mayors of New York, London and Paris, as well as growing urban centres in the developing world such as Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Freetown, Sierra Leone.
They plan to take part in three days of COP26 meetings to share their expertise about what is working on the local level and what is not.
With AP
