Members of the Climate Action Network, a group of 950 NGOs from over 100 countries, this morning set-out what the issues were likely to be for the nations negotiating a deal at the United Nations Climate Change conference in Paris (COP21).
‘There’s certainly a lot of momentum and a different mood around the halls and that’s refreshing for many of us. But don’t think this is going to be a walk in the park to a new agreement at the end of these two weeks’, commented Tim Gore of Oxfam.
Two of the three components needed for a successful summit outcome are in place, said Keya Chatterjee of USCAN, with only political leadership still needed. ‘That’s what we’re here to find out, whether we have it or not’, she commented. ‘President Obama’s political credibility is on the line.’
Political leadership is needed for the rich countries to stick to their current commitment of $100 billion/year of finance by 2020; for an increase in finance to help those countries that need to adapt to the effects of global warming, with the Africa group proposing $32 billion/year by 2020; finance to cover loss and damage to small island states and other vulnerable countries; and a commitment to what will happen post 2020 to put the world on track to using 100% renewables and no fossil fuels by the middle of the century.
Headlines will be dominated by powerful world leaders, but it’s vital that the voices of the most climate vulnerable countries are heard, cautioned Mohamed Adow of Christian Aid. The Climate Vulnerable Forum, representing 20 countries across the world, are calling for the highest level of ambition with emissions targets that would put the world on track for only 1.5 degrees of global warming.
‘The current deal on the table won’t be enough for vulnerable countires – it would lead to 2.7 degrees warming’, said Mohamed. ‘Vulnerable countries are at risk of being sacrificed while the rest of the world escapes’.
For the full press conference see the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change website.
