Johnson warns of the failure of the COP26 climate conference

“I am very concerned that it could go wrong and we cannot get the agreements we need,” the British prime minister said on Monday in a question-and-answer session with school children from around the world. “It’s on a knife’s edge, it’s very difficult, but I think it can work.”

The COP begins next Sunday (31 October) in Glasgow, Scotland. The aim is to discuss how the target formulated in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to as much as 1.5°C as possible compared to the pre-industrial era can be achieved. To this end, all countries must develop action plans. However, many states are still lacking or are not going far enough.

“This summit is going to be very difficult,” Johnson said. He hoped to come under peer pressure at the meeting in Glasgow. With Chinese Head of State Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, at least two important politicians will be missing in Scotland. “It’s not at all clear that we’re making the progress we need,” Johnson said. He criticized that about a dozen companies are responsible for most of the world’s plastic waste. The Prime Minister called for other methods of packaging to be found. In addition, everyone should do more to avoid plastic.