Decision makers from 40 countries come together to pledge clean energy action at the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit

Decision-makers from more than 40 countries came together to pledge clean energy action at the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit on 31 March 2021.

The Summit saw governments, business leaders, and financial institutions identifying ways to work together at a time when the need for international collaboration and policy implementation to accelerate clean energy transitions is critical.

“It is time for the world to move from a decade of climate change deliberation to a decade of delivery. Today’s Summit clearly showed willingness from governments, civil society and businesses to work together in each emitting sector to make this happen and keep the 1.5-degree target within reach,” Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, said, ” By working together, we can accelerate progress, create jobs and prosperity, and protect our planet for future generations.”

Ahead of the COP26 in November, the Net Zero Summit, co-hosted by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and COP26 President Alok Sharma, brought together high-level representatives of energy and climate ministries from 40 countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and many others.

The top international energy and climate leaders from more than 40 countries took part in the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit today to identify how to work together to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Seven Key Principles were presented at the Summit by the IEA to guide the implementation of the net-zero commitments. The principles found support in many of the IEA member governments. The principles cover essential areas such as the need for sustainable recoveries from the Covid-19 crisis, the critical importance of implementable emissions reduction roadmaps for the current decade, and the development of stronger mechanisms for international coordination to accelerate innovation and deployment in each major emitting sector of the global economy, as well as many others.

“No country can do this alone. If we want the transition to clean energy to happen quickly, the world’s major economies have to work much more effectively and closely together,” Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director, said in a statement.

To get to net-zero emissions globally by 2050, leaders from around the world must work together. It’s encouraging to see governments, business leaders, and financial institutions committing to a successful COP26 in Glasgow later this year. https://t.co/9bLQJvfZIR

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 9, 2021