Boris Johnson to use UN visit to push for global climate commitments
COP26 updates
Sign up to myFT Daily Digest to be the first to know about COP26 news.
Boris Johnson has rated his chances of securing commitments to $100bn in annual climate aid before a key environmental summit at “six out of 10” as he arrived in New York to galvanise wealthier economies to “step up to the plate”.
Rich countries missed a target of raising $100bn by 2020. The current shortfall in funding sets the scene for difficult discussions in November at the UN COP26 in Glasgow when it comes to agreeing new goals for climate finance.
Johnson said raising all of the target this week was “going to be a stretch”, admitting it would be “tough” to secure the funds before the meeting in Scotland later this year.
The UK prime minister will use his presence at the UN general assembly to secure financial pledges to help developing countries “grow cleanly and greenly”.
COP26 is viewed by Johnson as a chance to “lead the drive towards global net zero”. The prime minister will make a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York and host a meeting of world leaders — including from those countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Questioned on how he would rate his chances of getting the $100bn financial commitment and the new climate targets from other countries this week, Johnson replied: “I think getting it all this week is going to be a stretch. But I think getting it all done by COP — six out of 10. It’s going to be tough.”
Johnson said that while some countries were “really stepping up to the plate”, others, some G20 countries, “need to do much more”.
He said: “People need to understand that this is crucial for the world. By the end of October countries are going to have to come up with bigger NDCs [nationally determined contributions] and showing what they’re going to do to cut CO2 emissions, not just by 2050 but by 2030, to show we can make progress and we have a real plan to restrain the increase in temperature to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century. That means making very considerable progress by 2030.”
Johnson insisted the UK was in the “lead”, making huge efforts to reduce carbon emissions and was the first to commit to net zero by 2050.
“We’re virtually the only country that gets anything like the faintest batsqueak of approval from the climate change experts,” he said.
“We’re confident that technological progress is the answer, but other countries need to step up to the plate. Cash is a key part of it.”
Johnson is still attempting to persuade president Xi Jinping of China to back ambitious plans to tackle climate change at November’s summit.
Alok Sharma, the British president of the summit, admitted on Sunday that it was “not yet confirmed” that Xi would attend.
Johnson said China “actually have stepped up” and praised Xi on his “vision”, adding that Beijing was going forward to net zero by the middle of the century, 2060.
“That’s extraordinary progress and Alok has had some great conversations already with his Chinese counterparts about the things they want to do. I think China is massively important on this but it shows real signs of making progress,” he said.
The prime minister will meet Brazil’s president Jair Bolsanaro this week in New York. Asked if he would call on his counterpart to halt the burning of the Amazon rainforests, Johnson said: “Yes. We want to stop and reverse the global loss of biodiversity, including in the rainforest.
“We want a global process of reforestation. I think it is in the long-term interests of Brazil and the people of Brazil to recognise the spectacular natural endowment they have and to conserve it, and I am sure that president Bolsanaro agrees with that.”