As the world powers gears up for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, the importance of a global agreement to tackle the effects of climate change cannot be understated. Despite the fact that negotiators have made significant progress in crafting the Paris Agreement, there are a few small but important words which could make or break the success of the global climate summit.
Climate change is a complex issue that affects all regions of the world. Each nation brings their own particular set of challenges and concerns to the negotiating table. Although the Paris Agreement outlines the necessary steps for each country to take in order to mitigate the effect of climate change, the reality is that much of the progress relies on successful outcomes in the COP26 negotiations.
The challenge is that crucial, small words within the agreements have the power to make or break the deal. In recent negotiations on the Paris Agreement, there has been much debate over words like “shall,” “must,” and “should”. These words are known as modal verbs and they have the power to either make or break the agreement, depending on their usage.
In the case of the Paris Agreement, the use of “shall” means that a specific country or region has a responsibility to take action and will therefore be legally compelled to do so. This is different than the use of “should,” which suggests non-binding language and does not result in a legal obligation. Negotiators must take care to ensure that the modal verbs used in the agreement are both reflective of the country’s interests and conducive to a successful outcome.
It is clear that the small but powerful words used in global climate summits have the potential to make or break the deal. Therefore, it is essential that each nation participating in the negotiations is mindful of how they use language and how their words will affect the future of the world. The success of COP26 will depend on the thoughtful usage of these key modal verbs.