The global climate talks are again back on track after a rather turbulent start. The five-day negotiations started in Bonn yesterday with the supreme hope of crafting a new blueprint for the UN summit in Paris. The talks have entered a critical phase for two reasons. First, countries have already spent enough time to reach a deal – to be specific, more than two decades of protracted and tense 195-nation negotiations. In scope, depth and in every other sense, this will be a deal that the world has rarely witnessed. Secondly, any delay will be costly. The world is already experiencing the disastrous consequences of climate change and a failure to arrive at a deal will only compound the crisis.
These are the final preparatory steps before world leaders open the November 30-December 11 UN conference. “We are expecting from you... a new text,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said, reflecting the sentiment of the world. “Your leaders and the world are expecting this process to deliver a good text in Paris that address the challenges ahead of us,” he added.
The success of the talks so far lies in that so many countries in the world have agreed to make tough concessions for a noble cause and to make this planet inhabitable for the future generations. The carbon emissions cuts they have agreed to aren’t easy to implement because it will involve tough adjustments at home and will invite opposition from some quarters. And the biggest hurdle was ensuring an equitable distribution of responsibilities as poor countries accused the rich countries of putting unnecessary pressure on them to meet unjustifiable targets as the developed economies are also considered the biggest polluters. The poor nations are demanding funds to finance their transition to less carbon-polluting energy and for boosting defences against climate change-induced emergencies like sea-level rise and storms. The talks opened on a sour note on Monday as developing countries accused rich ones of ‘apartheid’ tactics, claiming their core demands had been removed from the blueprint. After hectic negotiations to reintroduce the omitted passages, the G77 bloc of developing nations said yesterday all the key concerns had been addressed.
The objective is to limit the global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels. The Bonn text will serve as a working document for ministers and leaders to take the tough political decisions needed for the Paris summit to succeed.
There is no doubt that the world will finally reach a deal to fight climate change and calls for a fast deal are coming from religious leaders too. More than 150 religious leaders from all over the world have urged world leaders to reach an agreement.
The global climate talks are again back on track after a rather turbulent start. The five-day negotiations started in Bonn yesterday with the supreme hope of crafting a new blueprint for the UN summit in Paris. The talks have entered a critical phase for two reasons. First, countries have already spent enough time to reach a deal – to be specific, more than two decades of protracted and tense 195-nation negotiations. In scope, depth and in every other sense, this will be a deal that the world has rarely witnessed. Secondly, any delay will be costly. The world is already experiencing the disastrous consequences of climate change and a failure to arrive at a deal will only compound the crisis.
These are the final preparatory steps before world leaders open the November 30-December 11 UN conference. “We are expecting from you... a new text,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said, reflecting the sentiment of the world. “Your leaders and the world are expecting this process to deliver a good text in Paris that address the challenges ahead of us,” he added.
The success of the talks so far lies in that so many countries in the world have agreed to make tough concessions for a noble cause and to make this planet inhabitable for the future generations. The carbon emissions cuts they have agreed to aren’t easy to implement because it will involve tough adjustments at home and will invite opposition from some quarters. And the biggest hurdle was ensuring an equitable distribution of responsibilities as poor countries accused the rich countries of putting unnecessary pressure on them to meet unjustifiable targets as the developed economies are also considered the biggest polluters. The poor nations are demanding funds to finance their transition to less carbon-polluting energy and for boosting defences against climate change-induced emergencies like sea-level rise and storms. The talks opened on a sour note on Monday as developing countries accused rich ones of ‘apartheid’ tactics, claiming their core demands had been removed from the blueprint. After hectic negotiations to reintroduce the omitted passages, the G77 bloc of developing nations said yesterday all the key concerns had been addressed.
The objective is to limit the global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels. The Bonn text will serve as a working document for ministers and leaders to take the tough political decisions needed for the Paris summit to succeed.
There is no doubt that the world will finally reach a deal to fight climate change and calls for a fast deal are coming from religious leaders too. More than 150 religious leaders from all over the world have urged world leaders to reach an agreement.
