Glasgow Climate Pact facts for kids
The Glasgow Climate Pact is an important agreement made at a big meeting called the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). This meeting happened in Glasgow, Scotland. The pact is special because it's the first climate agreement that directly talks about reducing the use of coal, especially coal that causes a lot of pollution.
| Drafted | 31 October – 13 November 2021 |
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| Signed | 13 November 2021 |
| Location | Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Parties | 197 |
| Depositary | Secretary-General of the United Nations |
| Languages | English |
 Glasgow Climate Pact at Wikisource |
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When the agreement was being discussed, the plan was to "phase out" coal. This means to stop using it completely. However, some countries that rely a lot on coal, like coal in India and coal in China, asked for a change. So, the wording was changed to "phase down" coal, which means to reduce its use slowly.
Contents
What the Pact Aims To Do
The Glasgow Climate Pact has several key goals. These goals are meant to help the world fight climate change. The main parts of the agreement include:
Plans to Cut Pollution
- Countries agreed to look at their plans for cutting pollution again in 2022. This is to make sure they are doing enough. The goal is to keep the world from getting too hot, aiming for the Paris Agreement target of limiting warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F).
Reducing Coal Use
- For the first time, the pact includes a promise to limit the use of coal that causes a lot of pollution. This is called "unabated coal." It means coal used without special technology to capture the carbon dioxide (CO2) it releases. While there are ways to capture CO2, like carbon capture and storage, these methods are often too expensive for most coal power plants.
Helping Developing Countries
- There's also a promise to provide "climate finance" for developing countries. This means richer countries will give money to help poorer countries deal with the effects of climate change. It also helps them switch to cleaner energy.
Important Promises Made
Many countries made important promises during the COP26 meeting. These promises are a big part of the effort to protect our planet.
Net-Zero Emissions
- More than 140 countries promised to reach "net-zero emissions." This means they will balance the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they put into the air with the amount they take out. These countries are responsible for about 90% of the world's current greenhouse gas pollution.
Stopping Deforestation
- Over 100 countries, including Brazil, made a promise to stop and reverse deforestation by the year 2030. Deforestation is the clearing of forests, which is bad for the environment and contributes to climate change.
Moving Away From Coal
- More than 40 countries pledged to stop using coal for energy. This is a big step towards cleaner power.
India's Energy Promise
- India made a big promise. It said that by 2030, half of its energy will come from renewable sources. Renewable sources are natural energy sources like solar power and wind power.
Cleaner Cars
- The governments of 24 developed countries and some major car manufacturers agreed to work towards a goal. They want all new cars and vans sold globally to produce no pollution by 2040. In leading markets, they aim for this by 2035. Some of the car companies that made this promise include GM, Ford, Volvo, BYD Auto, Jaguar Land Rover, and Mercedes-Benz. However, some big car-making nations and companies did not join this pledge.
