Here are five of the biggest takeaways from the UN Climate Conference:

1. Deforestation

One of the first announcements at COP26 was 141 countries agreeing to end global deforestation by 2030. The declaration commits to “working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation”.

Importantly, countries that are deforestation hotspots such as Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed the agreement. The pledge seeks to create holistic stewardship of forests across the world, by taking action in sustainable production, infrastructure development, trade, and greater support for Indigenous peoples and local communities.

However, like most of the commitments made at COP, words need to be backed by action. The drivers behind deforestation, like beef and palm oil production, need to be tackled for this pledge to make a real change.

2. Coal

We’ve been mining coal for thousands of years and using it to generate power since the late 19^th century. The canary has been singing for many years now that our dirtiest fuel source needs to be a thing of the past, and last week more than 40 countries agreed that using coal as a fuel source to generate electricity must come to an end.

Large coal-using countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Korea all signed the agreement to phase out coal by 2030 or 2040, deeming it essential to limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Disappointingly, some of the world’s largest coal-users like the US, China, and Australia were missing from the agreement. However, coal is quickly becoming more expensive than renewable energy and this economic reality means many investors have already jumped ship.

3. Methane

Methane warms the climate about 84 times more than carbon dioxide, but methane also remains in the atmosphere for around 12 years compared to the hundred-year presence of CO^₂. This means cutting methane emissions now could have a rapid impact on reducing global warming whilst CO^₂ emissions take longer to be reduced.

Under the Global Methane Pledge announced at COP26, more than 100 countries have agreed to shrink their methane emissions by 30% by 2030. This was backed up by commitments of US$325 million from foundations and philanthropy groups.

Australia is once again lagging behind the rest of the developed world by not signing the pledge and making no commitment to cut its methane emissions, despite having one of the highest global per capita methane emissions from its large coal and agricultural industries.

It’s especially disappointing because the solutions to reduce methane are within reach. One great innovative example is Australian company Sea Forest who have developed agricultural feed supplements from seaweed that reduces livestock methane emissions by up to 98%. Sea Forest’s seaweed was used to feed the sheep used for cotton by Carbon Neutral partner M. J. Bale in 2021.

4. Shipping

The global shipping industry pumps out more than a billion tonnes of CO^₂ emissions every year, making up around 3% of the global total. Twelve countries, led by Denmark, announced an ambitious target at COP26 for global shipping to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and setting new reductions targets to be met by 2023.

The Clydebank Declaration was also signed by 19 countries, including Australia, to commit to so-called ‘green shipping corridors’ of zero-emission fuel routes with port infrastructure and technology developments such as hydrogen fuels. Such a route is being proposed for Australia’s iron ore shipping journey to Japan, which is the most heavily emitting route on the planet.

Critics say the plan is more likely to sink than stay afloat, criticizing it for lack of detail and immediate short-term actions to be taken. Along with aviation, the shipping industry still has a long way to go to align with the reductions required to reach a 1.5°C goal; of the 50,000 ships currently in international trade, only 200 will be ‘green ships’ by 2030.

5. Finance

Like most things in politics, money runs the show. Climate finance, which is transnational flow of money from developed to developing economies, was a key undercurrent of most discussions and agreements at COP26. These issues are particularly pertinent, as it’s developing countries that are tipped to face the worse effects of the climate crisis such as more intense droughts and fiercer floods, and developed economies that are most responsible for emissions.

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change called for US$700 billion in climate finance every year from 2025 to help the continent adapt to climate-caused damage and loss. At 2009’s COP15 in Copenhagen, rich countries agreed to commit $100 billion annually, but they’ve failed to deliver on their promise and delivered only around $80 billion.

New finance goals were also proposed for climate adaptation separate to emission reduction as adaptation is urgently needed while climate targets continue to fail to be met.

Australia committed $500 million of climate finance on the first day of COP26, with funds to go toward projects in the neighbouring Indo-Pacific region. Pacific countries like Fiji have criticised Australia’s meager emission reduction targets in the past, as they face potentially huge consequences from the climate crisis. Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, delivered one of the most powerful moments of COP26, stating that a 2°C rise in global temperature would be a “death sentence” and called for more funding to small island nations on the frontlines of climate change.

Positives steps forward or a global COP out?

Many more issues were brought to the table at COP26, such as carbon trading and electric vehicles, and a lot more developments undoubtedly took place behind the scenes.

The ultimate mission of COP26 was to ‘keep 1.5 alive’, and 137 of the 197 UNFCCC countries have now pledged net zero targets, (only 13 of which have been legislated).

The scientific community and other critics say world leaders have missed the opportunity to use COP26 to spark the change that’s needed to protect a planet on the brink; even if all commitments promised at COP26 are met, temperature increase by 2100 will overshoot 1.5°C and hit 2.4-2.6°C above pre-industrial levels. Perhaps this should come as no surprise when the largest delegation present at the conference was the fossil fuel lobby.

Despite the promises of progress, the question remains whether real action will be delivered before it’s too late.

Year upon year, these seeds and seedlings will become vital animal habitat, and food sources, restore the soil, and capture carbon emissions from the atmosphere to become their roots, stems, and leaves. This establishment is the kick-starting of a long process of reforestation.

Planting took place in our Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor, a reforestation project aiming to create a 200km corridor of native vegetation on degraded land. We’re partnered with hundreds of businesses and organisations to plant trees in the Corridor to provide nature-based climate solutions.

This year’s planting season was helped by the big rains brought by Tropical Cyclone Seroja. The opportunity to plant on moist ground was seized, giving the seeds and seedlings the best chance of establishment.

Planting at our Red Plains property comprised just shy of 500 hectares on a mix of clay, gravel, and rocky soils that required different and targeted restoration planning. Our planting team has a deep knowledge of the landscape and how to restore it to a thriving woodland ecosystem.

At all planting areas, a mix of both seeds and seedlings are planted. Longer-living overstory species like eucalypt and malaleuca can find it difficult to regenerate by seed, and so were raised as seedlings in the nearby Parnells Nursery in Tincurrin. Carbon Neutral has developed successful direct-seeding methods over the last 20 years for many species planted as seed.

The Wilton Wells and Hillview properties had extensive planting in 2020, and so less planting occurred in 2021. Insect and weed monitoring will be ongoing as the vegetation continues to establish in the coming years.

We’re always looking for ways to improve and build on our planting approaches, and this year was no different. Different site preparations and seed mix combinations were trialled with the aim of getting the best survival rates through the intense heat of the WA summer.

We’re looking forward to planting even more trees in 2022!

How important is restoring ecosystems and biodiversity to halting climate disruption?

Why is this decade being declared as #GenerationRestoration? 

Last week we were privileged to hear an insightful perspective on these key questions in a presentation given by Dr Andrea Hinwood, the Chief Scientist of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Carbon Neutral hosted the event in Perth along with Clayton Utz and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy. There were representatives from across the environmental, energy, mining, and consulting sectors attendence, all eager to engage in exciting and constructive discussions on climate solutions.

Dr Hinwood’s global experience at the interface of the environment and human health means she understands how important it is that people and communities sit alongside business and industry in tackling climate change. She highlighted how UNEP is playing a vital role in bringing the science of climate, and its urgent reality, to nations, organisations, and environmental projects all over the world.

Dr Hinwood underlined that we are at a crucial point where many of our planet’s environmental indicators (other than just temperature – such as wildlife populations and air pollutants) are at thresholds where acting decisively in this decade is essential for a sustainable future for humanity. She shared that this is why 2020-2030 is marked as the United Nations ‘Decade of Ecosystem Restoration’ and why we need a #GenerationRestoration.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom – her perspective illustrated how UNEP is already overseeing big strides being taken by a growing international movement to address climate change in business investment and in culture. Dr Hinwood also signalled to the recent agreement of the European Union to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, putting it on track to reach climate neutrality by 2050. 

The co-benefits of ecosystem restoration and protection were also discussed and emphasised, such as the increased inclusivity and equality of regeneration projects and how much we rely on the biodiversity provided by the natural world. 

Questions from attendees discussed how cultural and social shifts are integral in accompanying shifts in climate disruption, and the ideas and practices organisations should adopt to make meaningful change on their climate impact. 

Carbon Neutral’s Head of Corporate Sustainability and Climate Strategies Dr Marianne Dahle also spoke during the evening and introduced Dr Hinwood. Marianne shared her insights on the shifting business landscape as more and more businesses and organisations are acting to implement meaningful climate action.

The evening’s themes continued to bubble into engaging conversations following Dr Hinwood’s presentation, with key members of WA industry sharing their insights backed by one central idea – we all need to work together on this one. 

Carbon Neutral would like to thank Dr Andrea Hinwood for her presentation, and extends its gratitude to Clayton Utz, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy, and all event organisers.