<span style="color: #222222;">COP President Designate Alok Sharma, has said one of the reasons to hold COP26 in person is to ensure the voices of less developed countries are heard and acted on. For those countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – who are already seeing their homes disappear under water and their crops decimated by drought – COP26 simply can't be another talking shop, he further added.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In a communique about COP 26, which was released by UN, Mr Sharma has said as countries begin to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, the world has got an historic opportunity to tackle climate change at the same time ' to build back better, and greener. To keep the temperature of the planet under control ' limiting its increase to 1.5 degrees – the science dictates that by the second half of the century, world should be producing less carbon than it takes out of the atmosphere. This is what reaching 'net</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">zero' means.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He also noted that around 70% of the world economy is now covered by net zero targets, up from less than 30%. The world is moving towards a lowcarbon future. He said in 2009, rich countries promised they would</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">work towards raising $100bn each year by 2020 to help these countries tackle climate change. Donors need to demonstrate that the target will be met and surpassed.  Mr Sharma reiterated that there is no viable pathway to net zero emissions that does not involve protecting and restoring nature on an unprecedented scale.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He expressed hope that COP26, will take forward action on protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems, and will champion the transition towards sustainable, resilient and nature positive agriculture. COP26 needs to be decisive. Whether future generations look back at this time with admiration or despair, depends entirely on our ability to seize this moment, he surmised.</span>