The upcoming UN climate conference (COP 26) will happen amid an escalating climate crisis. After past conferences failed to prevent today's unfolding disaster, it's safe to assume that the 26th COP will follow in the ineffectual footsteps of the previous 25 UN climate summits. Nevertheless, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) attempted to influence COP 26 by releasing its report ahead of schedule. Because of the consensus-based process of the IPCC — and the direct influence that oil-rich governments exert during the process — the UN body is notoriously conservative in its projections and policy solutions (often referred to as "the lowest common denominator" in climate science). The hamstrung IPCC, however, did its best to convey urgency by warning of climate catastrophe unless global emissions are cut in half by 2030 and/or net zero emissions are achieved by 2050. The Historic Failure of the UN's COP   

Source: The Climate Movement's Last Stand? - CounterPunch.org