Which nations are leading by example at COP26?

Sweden

The highest level of achievement in climate protective action this year has been awarded to Sweden.

The nation has had a climate policy in place since 2018, and in line with this, the government has been required to present updated action plans to achieve national climate goals every four years.

As a result, improvements are constantly being made. Sweden’s electricity production is currently made up of 45 percent hydropower, 30 percent (non-emitting) nuclear power, 17 percent wind power, with just 3 percent coming from fossil fuels.

The nation is on track to reduce its total CO2 emissions by 70 percent by the time we reach 2030 — but Sweden faces criticism regarding its reliance on non-renewable nuclear power, as a clear action plan for phasing this out to reach their 2045 net zero goal has not yet been realised.

The UK

Amidst the news of the UK’s not-so-sneaky business deals with oil and coal mining companies, you might be wondering how it found a place on the list.

One key reason is its commitment to cut emissions at a faster rate than any other developed nation, despite contributing less atmospheric CO2 in comparison to larger countries like the US & China.

As part of this commitment, the UK has promised a 78 percent reduction in emissions by 2035 which – if achieved – places it well on the road to net zero by 2050.

It also has laid out plans to ban selling new petrol, diesel, or hybrid vehicles in the UK by 2035, brought forward from 2040.

Finally, the UK announced new green efficiency standards for homes and businesses, which will reduce national energy consumption by implementing replacements and repairs within buildings across the country.

The UK’s main criticism is that although it appears to be well-intentioned by accepting the plans of the Committee on Climate Change, it lacks proper coordination between its economy and governments to ensure these targets aren’t missed.

Denmark

When Alok Sharma, the President of COP26, says he’s excited to have you at the event, you know you’re killing it in the climate saving game.

Denmark’s parliament recently ruled that its agricultural and forestry sector is legally required to reduce its greenhouse gases by 55 and 65 percent respectively by 2030. To help achieve this green transformation, $593million in state funds will be funnelled into both sectors.

It has also been committed to environmental health – from air quality, advanced sanitation, safe drinking water, and strong waste management programs – earning its title as a green leader. Currently, emission levels are on track to be diminished by 70 percent by 2030.

One of Denmark’s islands, Samsø, has switched from fossil fuels to renewables in just ten years. It is now carbon negative, producing more sustainable energy than it uses.

Morocco

This North African country is looking to become a ‘global solar superpower.’

Although Morocco contributes just 0.18 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains determined to reduce this number while helping other nations do so, too.

Here, the sun shines for over 3000 hours a year. In efforts to slash its current dependency on imported coal, oil, and gas, a massive $3billion solar power plant was installed on the outskirts of a town called Ouarzazate.

It now has the capacity to provide energy for 2 million people and currently supplies energy to Spain, Algeria, and soon Portugal.

On top of this, Morocco’s National Water Plan began in 2020. The rerouting of water basins, desalination projects, and dam building are part of a $43billion program to increase levels of accessible drinking water as well as to improve sustainability in agricultural sectors.

The nation’s key criticism is that other nations are sourcing their energy from Morocco’s solar power plant, while many local citizens have yet to reap the benefits.

Norway

The ‘greenest country in the world’ saw its parliament approve a proposal to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, which is two decades earlier than originally planned.

Norway is highly committed to renewable energy, with 95 percent of the country’s energy production coming from hydropower.

A ban on the sale of fossil-fuelled powered cars is also underway, with all vehicles needed to be green powered by 2025.

The only major downfall for Norway is that it has rich undersea oil reserves, for which it regularly drills. So, while it’s making progress in other ways, Norway’s government has been accused of ‘wanting to have its cake and eat it too’.

The problem with nationally determined contributions

So, the problem with NDC pledges made by each of these nations during the Paris Agreement is that none of them are compulsory. Countries can change, re-submit, or withdraw their NDCs at any time with no sanctions.

This is something that will hopefully change at COP26. Without a global legal framework for emission targets, subtle changes to domestic pledges can be made, allowing high-emitting projects to slip through the cracks.

With the climate summit already underway, let’s hope we see some developments in this area. We’ll be covering major updates over the next two weeks, so stay tuned!