By Jack Robert Stacey | Editor-in-Chief 
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (or ÔÇÿCOP26ÔÇÖ) saw an estimated 25,000 delegates travel to Glasgow in order to represent almost 200 countries in discussions on climate change-related issues. All participating countries agreed to adhere to ÔÇÿthe Glasgow Climate PactÔÇÖ, a new deal that ÔÇ£reaffirms the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the increase in global temperature to well below 2 ┬░CÔÇØ and recognises coal as the single largest contributor to climate change.
As part of the summit, 140 countries also made the pledge to reach net-zero emissions, while approximately 100 stated their intentions to end deforestation by 2030 ÔÇô The most significant of which being Brazil, a country that was recently found to have reached the highest levels of deforestation in 15 years.
During a recent Downing Street press conference concerning the UKÔÇÖs impact at COP26, Boris Johnson said that he was positive that ÔÇ£for all our disagreements, the world is undeniably heading in the right direction.ÔÇØ
Although the Prime Minister has faced criticism for an apparent lack of action at the summit, his statement does (for the most part) ring true in reference to global efforts to combat climate change.
In recent years, concerns around rising sea levels and steadily increasing global temperatures have appeared prominently in the news and political discussions. As NASA outlined in a recent compilation of scientific research, an overwhelming majority (97%) of climate scientists agree that climate change not only exists, but is set to pose a significant risk to life on our planet.
This consensus was also shared by a recent poll by YouGov which suggests that 73% of people in the UK believe that ÔÇ£the worldÔÇÖs climate is changing as a result of human activity.ÔÇØ
Whilst the COP26 summit was taking place, a large number of people took to the streets of London, Cardiff and other major cities around the world to raise awareness of the ongoing climate crisis. Many took part in protests against what they saw to be slow and ineffectual progress from those attending the conference.
One of the largest protests, the ÔÇÿGlobal Day for Action for Climate JusticeÔÇÖ, took place ScotlandÔÇÖs Capital and was estimated to include 100,000 people. This protest was attended by Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate, two high-profile climate change activists that have been at the centre of discussions for a number of years.
Teresa Anderson, a campaigner and climate policy coordinator at ActionAid International, asserted that she was disappointed by the outcome reached by leaders at COP26. Overall, she said that, the summit was ÔÇ£an insult to the millions of people whose lives are being torn apart by the climate crisis.ÔÇØ
She maintained that, despite the ÔÇ£huge expectations that COP26 would finally deliver real support for the communitiesÔÇØ most affected by climate disasters, the summit was disrupted by wealthy countries who, as she put it, ÔÇ£hung those most impacted out to dry.ÔÇØ
AndersonÔÇÖs claim that COP26 had little impact has been echoed by numerous climate scientists including Hannah Cloke, a professor of hydrology at the University of Reading.
Whilst Cloke recognised that the public are more aware of climate change than ever before, she said that, when evaluating the recent summit ÔÇ£from a scientific point of viewÔÇØ, ÔÇ£we are back in the position where the science is ever clearer but the politics is still worryingly murky.ÔÇØ
Whilst it is uncertain whether countries will continue to adhere to ÔÇÿthe Glasgow Climate PactÔÇÖ or any of the other policies discussed at COP26, the recent summit and the protests around it have undeniably raised awareness of the ongoing climate crisis. It remains to be seen, however,┬á whether the global efforts to combat climate change will be significant enough to make an impact.
Yn dilyn casgliad diweddar uwchgynhadledd COP26, codwyd nifer o gwestiynau ynghylch pa mor gynhyrchiol y mae’r cyfarfodydd diweddar wedi bod wrth fynd i’r afael ag effaith barhaus newid yn yr hinsawdd ledled y byd.
Gwelodd Cynhadledd Newid yn yr Hinsawdd y Cenhedloedd Unedig (neu ‘COP26’) amcangyfrif o 25,000 o gynrychiolwyr yn teithio i Glasgow er mwyn cynrychioli bron i 200 o wledydd mewn trafodaethau ar faterion sy’n ymwneud ├ó newid yn yr hinsawdd.Cytunodd yr holl wledydd a gymerodd ran i gadw at ‘Gytundeb Hinsawdd Glasgow’, bargen newydd sy’n “ailddatgan nod tymheredd y Cytundeb Paris o gynnal y cynnydd mewn tymheredd byd-eang i lawer islaw 2 o C” ac yn cydnabod glo fel y cyfrannwr unigol mwyaf at newid yn yr hinsawdd.
Fel rhan o’r uwchgynhadledd, gwnaeth 140 o wledydd yr addewid hefyd i gyrraedd allyriadau sero net, tra nododd tua 100 eu bwriad i roi terfyn ar ddadorewigo erbyn 2030 ÔÇô Y mwyaf arwyddocaol ohonynt oedd Brasil, gwlad y canfuwyd yn ddiweddar ei bod wedi cyrraedd y lefelau uchaf o ddatgoedwigo mewn 15 mlynedd.
Yn ystod cynhadledd i’r wasg yn Downing Street yn ddiweddar ynghylch effaith y DU yn COP26, dywedodd Boris Johnson ei fod yn gadarnhaol “ar gyfer ein holl anghytundebau, mae’r byd yn mynd i’r cyfeiriad cywir yn bendant”.
Er bod y Prif Weinidog wedi wynebu beirniadaeth am ddiffyg gweithredu ymddangosiadol yn yr uwchgynhadledd, mae ei ddatganiad (ar y cyfan) yn wir wrth gyfeirio at ymdrechion byd-eang i fynd i’r afael ├ó newid yn yr hinsawdd.
Yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae pryderon ynghylch lefelau’r m├┤r yn codi a thymheredd byd-eang cynyddol wedi ymddangos yn amlwg yn y trafodaethau newyddion a gwleidyddol.Fel yr amlinellodd NASA mewn casgliad diweddar o ymchwil wyddonol, mae mwyafrif llethol (97%) o wyddonwyr yr hinsawdd yn cytuno bod newid yn yr hinsawdd nid yn unig yn bodoli, ond ei fod yn peri risg sylweddol i fywyd ar ein planed.
Rhannwyd y consensws hwn hefyd gan arolwg barn diweddar gan YouGov sy’n awgrymu bod 73% o bobl yn y DU yn credu bod “hinsawdd y byd yn newid o ganlyniad i weithgarwch dynol”.
Er bod uwchgynhadledd COP26 yn cael ei chynnal, aeth nifer fawr o bobl i strydoedd Llundain, Caerdydd a dinasoedd mawr eraill ledled y byd i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r argyfwng hinsawdd parhaus.Cymerodd llawer ran mewn protestiadau yn erbyn yr hyn a welsant yn gynnydd araf ac aneffeithiol gan y rhai a fynychodd y gynhadledd.
Cynhaliwyd un o’r protestiadau mwyaf, y ‘Diwrnod Byd-eang ar gyfer Gweithredu dros Gyfiawnder Yn yr Hinsawdd’, prifddinas yr Alban ac amcangyfrifwyd ei fod yn cynnwys 100,000 o bobl.Mynychwyd y brotest hon gan Greta Thunberg a Vanessa Nakate, dau weithredydd newid hinsawdd proffil uchel sydd wedi bod yng nghanol trafodaethau ers nifer o flynyddoedd.
Haerodd Teresa Anderson, ymgyrchydd a chydgysylltydd polisi hinsawdd yn ActionAid International, ei bod wedi’i siomi gan y canlyniad a wnaed gan arweinwyr yn COP26.Yn gyffredinol, dywedodd fod yr uwchgynhadledd yn “sarhad ar y miliynau o bobl y mae eu bywydau’n cael eu chwalu gan yr argyfwng hinsawdd.”
Dywedodd, er gwaethaf y “disgwyliadau enfawr y byddai COP26 o’r diwedd yn rhoi cefnogaeth wirioneddol i’r cymunedau” yr effeithiwyd arnynt fwyaf gan drychinebau yn yr hinsawdd, bod gwledydd cyfoethog yn tarfu ar yr uwchgynhadledd a oedd, fel y dywedodd, yn “hongian y rhai a effeithiwyd fwyaf i sychu.”
Ategwyd honiad Anderson nad oedd COP26 wedi cael fawr o effaith gan nifer o wyddonwyr hinsawdd gan gynnwys Hannah Cloke, athro hydroleg ym Mhrifysgol Reading.
Er ei bod yn ansicr a fydd gwledydd yn parhau i gadw at ‘Gytundeb Hinsawdd Glasgow’ neu unrhyw un o’r polis├»au eraill a drafodwyd yn COP26, mae’r uwchgynhadledd ddiweddar a’r protestiadau o’i chwmpas wedi codi ymwybyddiaeth o’r argyfwng hinsawdd parhaus.Fodd bynnag, mae’n dal i gael ei weld a fydd yr ymdrechion byd-eang i fynd i’r afael ├ó newid yn yr hinsawdd yn ddigon sylweddol i gael effaith.
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