In the lead-up to COP26, New Zealand announced an increased climate finance commitment(external link), and an updated Nationally Determined Contribution(external link). That updated NDC is published on the UNFCCC NDC Registry(external link), while the Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy is published on the UNFCCC website(external link).
The National Statement(external link) was delivered at COP26 by the Minister of Climate Change.
COP26 declarations, initiatives, pledges and statements joined by Aotearoa New Zealand
The Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) is an international coalition of governments and stakeholders working together to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas production. Led by the governments of Denmark and Costa Rica, the coalition aims to elevate the issue of oil and gas production phase-out in international climate dialogues, mobilise action and commitments, and create an international community of practice on this issue.
Link to Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance
Communique by members of the Carbon Neutrality Coalition calling on countries to submit their long-term low greenhouse gas emissions development strategies (LT-LEDS) as soon as possible.
An informal group of countries and organisations that provide climate finance calling for more adaptation finance. The group was launched in September 2021 at the United Nations General Assembly with the goal to increase the total share of climate finance spent on adaptation and resilience.
Link to Champions Group statement
Signatories agree to actions to decarbonise shared maritime routes, in conjunction with the relevant ports and operators, and work towards fully decarbonised alternative fuels for shipping. A collective aim to support the establishment of at least 6 green corridors by the middle of this decade, while aiming to scale activity up in the following years.
A commitment from representatives of governments, businesses, and other organisations to rapidly accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, including work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission globally by 2040, and by no later than 2035 in leading markets.
Link to Declaration on Accelerating Transition to 100% ZE Cars and Vans
A commitment to strengthen global efforts to achieve zero emissions from international shipping by 2050, including at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), pledge to work at the IMO to adopt such a goal, to adopt goals for 2030 and 2040 that place the sector on a pathway to full decarbonisation by 2050, and to adopt the measures to help achieve these goals.
The United Nations Development Programme campaign ‘Don’t Choose Extinction’ calls for an end to spending public funds on fossil fuel subsidies every year.
Link to dontchooseextinction.com
A commitment to working collectively with other countries to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.
Link to Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use
Joint statement published by the Scottish Government and UN Women at COP26 calling for the role of women and girls to be advanced in addressing climate change Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement.
A commitment to urgently scale-up the deployment of clean power to accelerate the energy transition and to work together with other countries to make clean power the most affordable and accessible option globally.
A commitment by leading countries to work together to enable 100% zero-emission new truck and bus sales by 2040 with an interim goal of 30% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2030, to facilitate achievement of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Countries joining the pledge commit to a collective global target to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030. Delivering on the Global Methane Pledge is estimated to reduce warming by at least 0.2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
Link to Global Methane Pledge
A statement by leaders of member countries to the High Ambition Coalition outlining ambitious steps that should be agreed upon at COP26 and taken by Parties in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C and prevent the most catastrophic climate impacts.
A commitment to work together, through ICAO and other alliances, to advance ambitious actions to reduce aviation CO2 emissions including adoption by ICAO of an ambitious long-term aspirational goal consistent with efforts to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C and the industry’s commitments towards net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Link to Declaration at COP26
This is a joint initiative created by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. AIM for Climate seeks to address the climate crisis by uniting participants to significantly increase and accelerate investment in, and/or other support for, climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation over the next five years (2021–2025).
Link to AIM for Climate
Joint Statement of Climate Ministers from Costa Rica, Fiji, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland following a meeting at COP26 to discuss progress in negotiations for the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS).
Link to Climate Ministers on the role of trade policy in accelerating climate action
New Zealand, California and Quebec agreed to work together to maximise opportunities for reducing emissions in the most cost effective way; to support research and development into low carbon technologies; cooperate on ETS design and implementation; and to promote the environmental integrity of carbon pricing mechanisms around the world.
Link to Quebec California NZ joint declaration on cooperation
No New Coal Power Compact was launched in September 2021 by Sri Lanka, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Montenegro and the UK. It commits countries to immediately cease issuance of new permits for unabated coal-fired power generation projects and cease new construction of unabated coal-fired power generation projects as of the end of 2021. This commitment was included in the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement.
Link to Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement – see #3
Members of the OECD Development Assistance Committee issued a joint Declaration ahead of COP26 committing to align official development assistance (ODA), which totalled USD 161 billion in 2020, with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Link to OECD DAC statement for COP26
The Policy Dialogue on Accelerating Transition to Sustainable Agriculture was co-convened by the UK as in-coming COP Presidency and by the World Bank. Its intent was to catalyse efforts to deliver the global transformation in agriculture and land use so urgently needed to tackle climate change, to produce nutritious food, to support jobs and economic growth, and to protect our planet.
In support of efforts to address climate change and in the context of the approaching COP26, the Participants to the OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits agreed to end support for unabated coal-fired power plants.
Link to Agreement reached at OECD
A commitment to ending international public support for the unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022 and instead prioritising support for the clean energy transition.
Link to Statement on International Public Support for the Clean Energy Transition
The Declaration sets out how countries will support developing and emerging economies transition their workers as we make the global transition to net zero. By signing the Declaration, countries commit to seeking to ensure they embed a just transition-focused framework into their various funding streams (e.g. aid budgets, international climate financing).
Link to Supporting the Conditions for a Just Transition Internationally
Minister of Finance Hon Grant Robertson, along with Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from 40 jurisdictions, publicly welcomed the IFRS Foundation’s establishment of the ISSB and its work programme to develop a set of internationally consistent, high-quality, and reliable baseline standards for disclosure of sustainability-related information on enterprise value creation.
New Zealand endorsed the following pledge following the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) COP26 ministerial meeting.
“We, as Wellbeing Economy Governments:
- Reaffirm our commitment to the transition to a wellbeing economy which should be intertwined with action to address the global climate emergency.
- Continue the dialogue and partnership between our respective governments on putting the wellbeing economy into practice.
- Will foster engagement with young people as part of our work as a network.”
Link to Wellbeing Economy Alliance
Women Leading on Climate Coalition is focused on empowering, supporting and raising the voices of women, girls and gender minorities working on climate action and solutions around the world.
Link to Women Leading on Climate
A commitment to work together internationally this decade to accelerate the development and deployment of the clean technologies and sustainable solutions needed to meet our Paris Agreement goals, ensuring they are affordable and accessible for all. The Agenda has specific breakthrough goals on power, road transport, steel and hydrogen.
Link to COP26 World Leaders Summit- Statement on the Breakthrough Agenda