COP25 video: What needs to happen by COP26 to keep the Paris Agreement on track?

As negotiations at COP25 in Madrid progress slowly, Carbon Brief has been asking a range of scientists, party delegates and NGO representatives for their views on the year ahead.

With the first week offering little in the way of outcomes, attendees were asked what must happen before the critical talks in Glasgow next year if the Paris Agreement is to remain on track.

The negotiations so far have largely been dominated by clashes over Article 6 carbon markets – the last remaining section of the Paris “rulebook” to be completed – and how to support countries irreversibly harmed by climate change (so-called “loss and damage”).

Meanwhile, there is a wider conversation taking place about how these talks can ramp up the ambition of national climate pledges ahead of next year’s deadline. And technical talks rumble on in the background around “common timeframes” and a “second periodic review”.

The video above features input from…

Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid:

“The reality is that the global south is already facing climate emergencies. They are facing increasing numbers of cyclones, drought and rising seas, and they need to be supported now as we speak.”

Gilles Dufrasne, carbon-pricing policy officer at Carbon Market Watch:

“One important aspect of the Paris Agreement now is to establish the final rules for the carbon markets after 2020…At the moment, we are seeing massive loopholes that are threatening to undermine the climate action at a time when we know we need more climate action.”

Yamide Dagnet, senior associate at World Resources Institute’s International Climate Action Initiative:

“This COP is happening already in the midst of an acceleration of impacts all over the world, and what we need to see is an acceleration of actions and scaling up of support.”

Dr Shuaib Lwasa from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Makerere University, Uganda:

“We’ve gone past the time of discussions and negotiations, action is needed right now.”

Janine Felson, deputy chair of AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States):

“We can’t speak of NDC [nationally determined contribution] ambition being ramped up and leave behind a whole discussion of finance, and the importance of scaling up finance. We have the $100bn goal by 2020, which we know we probably will not be meeting, but that does not stop us from pushing the momentum to ensure that we get as much as possible on the table.”

Eddy Pérez, international policy analyst at Climate Action Network Canada:

“All over the world, in Chile, in Asia, people are going to the streets because they feel that their leaders are not doing what they should to respond, not only to the environmental concerns, or climate concerns, but also to social concerns…[COP25] will be judged by its capacity to connect the inside with the outside.”

Dr Zinta Zommers, United Nations Environment Programme:

“There are a range of things that we can do as individuals [such as voting] as we wait for policymakers to take action, but also to ensure that they take more action.”

Sonam P Wangdi, chair of the LDC (Least Developed Countries) negotiating bloc:

“Between now and Glasgow, to keep the Paris Agreement on track, new, updated NDCs must be submitted – this must include high ambition levels…to be able to keep on the 1.5C pathways.”