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CLIMATE-ENERGY-UN-COP24
Katowice climate summit: three key outcomes
KATOWICE, Poland, Dec 16, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – In UN climate talks ending
Saturday in Katowice, Poland delivered a milestone rule book for the Paris
climate treaty, but failed to dial up national efforts to slash carbon
emissions.
The 195-nation pact calls for capping the rise in Earth’s temperature at
“well under” two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and 1.5C if
possible.
Here are three key outcomes from the 13-day meeting:
– Not ambitious enough? –
After a sobering UN report in October showed the need for slashing
greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50 percent by 2030 to cap global warming
at 1.5C, the world — and especially poor countries already reeling from
climate-addled extreme weather — looked to the UN talks for a sign that
nations would ramp up voluntary carbon-cutting pledges.
Even if fulfilled, these promises will see temperatures rise more than 3C
above pre-industrial levels, a recipe for global chaos, say scientists. On
current trends, the increase would be higher still.
The binding decisions assiduously avoid a clear call for higher ambition in
reducing greenhouse gas pollution before 2020, when the Paris Agreement
becomes operational.
Parties to the 195-nation talks could not even agree to “welcome” the
findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on
1.5C, as urged by at-risk nations.
“What we’ve seen in Poland reveals a fundamental lack of understanding of
our current crisis,” said Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, leader of WWF’s Climate and
Energy Practice. “We need all countries to commit to raising climate ambition
before 2020.”
– ‘Loss and damage’ –
The Paris Agreement guarantees smaller developing countries — historically
blameless for global warming — $100 billion (88.5 billion euros) per year
starting from 2020 to green their economies and cope with future climate
impacts.
The rules also enjoin rich nations to boost support over the next two
years, and provide hard data on where future financial flows will come from.
Climate-vulnerable nations were also hoping to get some visibility on what
happens after 2025, when the $100-billion pledge expires, as well as on
vaguely worded commitments to provide a separate stream of money — under the
heading “loss and damage” — to help cope with climate impacts here and now.
The run-up to Katowice saw a new round of pledges, including 1.5 billion
euros from Germany and 500 million euros from Norway for the Green Climate
Fund. The new decisions also allay some of the concerns about the opaqueness
of future financing — though not after 2025.
“It’s good that some of this predictability has been achieved,” said
Mohamed Adow, Climate Lead for Christian Aid. “But rich countries have been
allowed to count almost anything and everything as climate finance, including
commercial loans.”
– Global economy –
Nations pressing for urgent action also sought language in the final “COP
decisions” that would highlight the need to boost financing beyond climate-
specific sectors such as development of renewables or efficiency improvements
in buildings.
Facing down the existential threat of climate change also means “making
finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions
and climate-resilient development” across the entire global economy, the
Paris Agreement says.
The complicated Katowice decisions will give cover both to nations that
seek to expand the climate imperative as broadly as possible, and those who
prefer a narrow interpretation, experts said.
“Markets play a very important role if we are going to be ambitious,”
Canadian environment minister Catherine McKenna told AFP. “We need to use the
private sector, we need the billions to flow into trillions.”
BSS/AFP/GMR/0902 hrs