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The hope we need is realistic – not wishful thinking, denial or delay disguised as naïve optimism.
AP
From weak 2030 targets to controversial rules around carbon trading, let’s take a look at the summit’s defining issues.
All 197 countries represented at COP26 signed the pact.
Robert Perry/EPA
November 15, 2021
Christina E. Hoicka , University of Victoria ; Daniel Sperling , University of California, Davis ; Ian Lowe , Griffith University ; Kate Dooley , The University of Melbourne ; Kyla Tienhaara , Queen's University, Ontario ; Mariola Acosta Francés , International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) ; Mark Maslin , UCL ; Piers Forster , University of Leeds ; Ran Boydell , Heriot-Watt University , and Simon Lewis , UCL
Has the summit delivered on its goals?
John Kerry and other delegates in discussions on the final day of COP26.
Robert Perry/EPA
COP26 saw incremental progress but not the breakthrough moment needed.
Going plant-based doesn’t have to mean spending more.
marilyn barbone/ Shutterstock
We found that vegan and vegetarian diets cost a third less than current high-meat, high-dairy diets many people follow.
Wildfire smoke contains a mixture of toxic pollutants that can be harmful to both the lungs and the brain.
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Pollution from more frequent floods and wildfires – exacerbated by the warming climate – is threatening human health and poses particular risks to the brain.
Boris Johnson and Joe Biden greet each other at the COP26 UN climate conference.
Robert Perry / EPA-EFE
Politicians have more incentive to react to current climate disasters, but more investment is needed in preparing for future problems.
Sandstorm approaching Merzouga Settlement in Erg Chebbi Desert, Morocco.
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Humanity’s biggest challenges are not technical, but social, economic, political and behavioural. Effective actions are still possible to stabilise the climate and the planet, but must be taken now.
Aerial photo of a power station and coal stockpile in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Pitched at an initial US$8.5 billion, the partnership has the potential to be one of the largest individual climate finance transactions to date. But can a just transition be achieved?
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Some promising proposals have been put forward, but most suffer either from a lack of ambition or a lack of participation from key countries.
Shutterstock/rafapress
Uncertainty about carbon market rules will be problematic for New Zealand, given its reliance on overseas carbon trading to meet its new climate pledge.
AP
Only in coming years will we know if COP26 was a real game-changer for the planet, or just empty promises and spin.
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The Morrison government’s great refusal to take action on climate may come back to haunt Australia when we seek the cooperation of other countries.
Christoph Soeder/dpa/Alamy
Mainstream reporters not familiar with the topic may spin the summit as a huge success or devastating failure.
An oil-drilling rig surrounded by canola and hay fields near Cremona, Alta.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Canada must move away from using fossil fuels, but a transition that comes too fast could harm the economy. Policy-makers must strike a balance between energy security and economic growth.
Corporations are increasingly calling on governments to act on climate change, even if it doesn’t benefit them.
EdG2s/Wikimedia
Research suggests that corporate leaders can be encouraged to lobby for climate action by personally experiencing the effects of climate change.
The sungazer lizard faces a number of threats. Could rising temperatures be among them?
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By quantifying an animal’s glucocorticoid levels, scientists can learn crucial information about physiological stress and chances of survival.
Reusing old buildings, instead of demolishing them, provides a significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions.
Pxfuel
Embodied carbon - carbon produced during a building’s construction - urgently needs reducing, and reusing buildings could help.
Afraid, sad and anxious: what climate change is doing to young people.
Stephen Bell / Alamy Stock Photo
Experts explain the latest evidence on eco-anxiety in The Conversation Weekly.
James Ross/AAP
Scott Morrison had a bumpy ride on the campaign trail as he pushed his climate policy