Christian Aid response to COP26 ministerial press conference 

Responding to the press conference from the COP26 July ministerial this evening, Christian Aid's climate policy lead, Dr Kat Kramer, said:

“It is very positive that ministers were finally able to meet face to face to make progress towards COP. While there has been little in the way of concrete outcomes from this meeting, it was a chance for real interpersonal engagement between ministers in advance of what will be crunch talks on the final nights of November’s UN climate talks. Diplomacy requires being in the room: to better understand each other’s positions and to move towards finding common ground.

"There are less than 100 days left before COP and it is incumbent on all countries, but especially those with the greatest responsibilities and capabilities, to make climate change a political priority, to put in place policies domestically, and to continue to engage with other countries.

"At a time when the host city flooded with unusual rains, and in light of the catastrophic flooding in China last week, the sheer peril of climate change should be at the forefront of all ministers’ minds. We are endangering our own life raft – our shared planet. It is the people on the frontline, in the most climate vulnerable countries who will suffer the most, although they have caused it the least ”