Connect with us

Published

on

Ministers and negotiators at COP26 must “pull together and drive for the line” in the second week of the conference, Boris Johnson says.

The prime minister was talking as the first week of the climate summit in Glasgow comes to an end, with Saturday marked by the biggest protests to date, and representatives prepare for a second and final week of talks.

COP26: Saturday’s events as they happened

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player


Climate protests in Glasgow

Mr Johnson said: “There is one week left for COP26 to deliver for the world, and we must all pull together and drive for the line.

“We have seen nations bring ambition and action to help limit rising temperatures, with new pledges to cut carbon and methane emissions, end deforestation, phase out coal and provide more finance to countries most vulnerable to climate change.

“But we cannot underestimate the task at hand to keep 1.5C alive.

“Countries must come back to the table this week ready to make the bold compromises and ambitious commitments needed.”

More on Boris Johnson

Despite the pledges to end deforestation, fossil fuel funding abroad, use of coal, and the greenhouse gas methane, there have been protests from those who say more is needed.

On Friday and Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters marched in Glasgow calling for action rather than just more of what activist Greta Thunberg has described as “blah blah blah”.

Organisers of the protests, the COP26 Coalition, claimed more than 100,000 people turned up to Saturday’s protest, despite the weather, adding that an estimated 300 similar events were taking place around the world.

Coalition spokesman Asad Rehman said: “We won’t tolerate warm words and long-term targets any more, we want action now.”

The second week is expected to discuss parts of the 2015 Paris Agreement which still need finalising, markets for trading carbon emissions, transparency over what countries are doing and timeframes for action.

Talks will also continue on how poorer countries can be helped to adapt to the changing climate and what that will mean for people, land, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

Countries will also try to set out a plan for how they will close the gap between what they have pledged under the Paris Agreement and what is needed to avoid temperature rises of more than 1.5C.

Some countries are pushing for commitments to be revisited and boosted every year, but there is also some opposition to this.

Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow business secretary, said: “The truth after the first week of the COP is that we remain a long way off where we need to be to realistically say we have taken the major steps required to keep 1.5 alive.

“But all the prime minister now offers is empty exhortation and commentary.

“We have a right to expect him to engage directly in these final days, personally driving these negotiations forward, pushing all the major emitters to do more, delivering the finance required for developing and vulnerable countries and ensuring we have a path out of Glasgow to keep 1.5 alive.

“He needs to step up with focus, clarity and urgency in the face of the massive task the world faces in the coming days.”

Subscribe to ClimateCast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Spreaker

For full coverage of COP26, watch Climate Live on Sky channel 525.

Follow live coverage on web and app with our dedicated live blog.

Get all the latest stories, special reports and in-depth analysis at skynews.com/cop26

Continue Reading

Politics

RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

Published

on

By

RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

Most RWAs remain isolated and underutilized instead of composable, DeFi-ready building blocks. It’s time to change that.

Continue Reading

Politics

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces $2.7M deficit amid special administration

Published

on

By

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Thousands of savers face potential losses after a $2.7 million shortfall was discovered at Ziglu, a British crypto fintech that entered special administration.

Continue Reading

Politics

Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

Published

on

By

Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

Politics Hub: Catch up on the latest

Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

Read more:
Reeves won’t rule out tax rises

What is a wealth tax and how would it work?

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈      

Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.

Continue Reading

Trending