Going Green: COP26

By Taylor "Uʻi" Barongan

In November of last year, world leaders gathered in Glasgow to discuss the rapid effects of climate change and what they can do to prevent further damage to the planet. Every year, each of the five United Nations regional groups meet to discuss how they will minimize their impact on the environment. 2021 was a special year for the climate summit as scientists around the world had determined it was the last chance for countries to curb their energy consumption and production methods before reaching a point of no return for climate change.

A coalition of 20 countries including the U.S. pledged to stop financing fossil fuel production by the end of 2022. With the result of this coalition, the U.S. projects its redirected funds of $15 billion to go towards strictly renewable energy. Additionally, 180 countries invested their money into protecting the rainforest and funding restoration efforts along with promising to end deforestation by 2030. Spain has promised to end fossil file emissions by 2042 and has enacted a law to ensure this promise is fulfilled. Sweden has promised to go completely fossil free by 2045 and fully sustain itself with renewable energy.

While many countries will have a difficult time switching from fossil fuels to clean energy either due to their political climate or lack of resources, COP26 offered an opportunity for countries to discuss how they are to rethink their methods of energy production.

After a study from 2019 concluded that in the United States, each person contributes 17.6 tons of CO2 emissions each year - making the US the highest emission per-person ratio in the world, one of the most important goals the United States pledged to accomplish was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 52% when compared to 2005’s. The year 2005, held the highest record for greenhouse gas emissions for the U.S., so this goal would minimize the highest emission amount by over half. This goal is to be accomplished before 2030. For comparison, this cut is only 1% higher than that of the entire European Union’s emission output. Ultimately, the US plans to reach a net zero emissions by 2050 - a pledge the European Union is also trying to achieve. President Biden’s infrastructure bill is a key asset in aiding the U.S. in accomplishing their emission decline goals as it would provide the funds necessary to switch to clean energy methods to implement. Additionally, this bill would fund carbon-capturing methods to remove CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.

COP26 World Leaders - Photo by Alberto Pazzali

Though there have been few direct effects of COP26 in Hawai’i, the state, independent of the conference, intends to run on 100% renewable energy by 2045. Hawai’i residents also have plans to advocate for solutions. Last year, a few law students of the University of Mānoa community attended the COP26 conference to network and lobby for a more sustainable future, stable climate, and for protection for Indigenous communities. With Hawaiʻi’s legislative branch currently in session, many of Hawai’i’s issues will be brought up for discussion and decisions will be made on what new laws need to be enacted to ensure the protection of Hawaiʻi’s environment.

As a big source of conflict this year, state officials have now urged the Navy to decommission their Red Hill fuel storage facility to eliminate the possibility of water contamination on O’ahu. After hundreds of complaints and several nearby residents falling ill after drinking the water connected to Red Hill’s aquifer, many locals are outraged at the state’s allowance of a fuel tank near a water source. In 2021, a study collecting samples of the water found that there were heightened levels of petroleum hydrocarbons and TPH in the water. After extensive media coverage, many locals are demanding solutions from the state legislature. This year, SB 2172 has begun its process of prohibiting the allowance of an underground fuel storage tank within 0.5 miles of an aquifer.