Governments claim the world is 'on track' for deal as activists walk out of climate conference
Sun 24 November 2013
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At the end of the Warsaw Climate Change Conference (COP19), the United Nations and leading governments said that a deal reached in the final hours means that the World is on a track towards a universal climate agreement in 2015. However 800 activists from environmental and civil society groups walked out before the end of the Conference in protest at the slow rate of progress in the talks.
Marcin Korolec, President of the COP19 conference said: “Warsaw has set a pathway for governments to work on a draft text of a new universal climate agreement so it appears on the table at the next UN Climate change conference in Peru. This is an essential step to reach a final agreement in Paris, in 2015.”
The UK's Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Davey, said: “The UK’s key objective for the Warsaw climate change talks has been met. All nations have now agreed to start their homework to prepare for a global climate change deal in 2015. The world now has a work programme, with timetables. While the long negotiations in Poland showed there are many tough talks ahead of us, the determined diplomacy of the UK and EU achieved our aims, building alliances with our friends across the world.
The UNFCC press release stated that: "In the context of 2015, countries decided to initiate or intensify domestic preparation for their intended national contributions towards that agreement, which will come into force from 2020. Parties ready to do this will submit clear and transparent plans well in advance of COP 21, in Paris, and by the first quarter of 2015."
The conference also decided to establish an international mechanism to provide most vulnerable populations with better protection against loss and damage caused by extreme weather events and slow onset events such as rising sea levels. Detailed work on the so-called “Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage” will begin next year.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC said: “We have seen essential progress. But let us again be clear that we are witnessing ever more frequent, extreme weather events, and the poor and vulnerable are already paying the price.”
Most NGOs, however, were unimpressed by the talks and their outcome. Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace said: “This was a sham. It was supposed to be about increasing emission cuts, but what we saw was the opposite - Japan lowering its target, Australia rolling back its climate legislation and Brazil reporting a 28% increase of its deforestation rate. Furthermore, the complete failure of rich countries to deliver on existing promises on long-term finance is putting the most vulnerable people at risk.
“Too many governments, North and South, continue to block progress towards a new global climate agreement while serving their coal and oil lobbies, rather than their people. Greenpeace, looking into the future, expects to see a new kind of leadership from emerging economies. They have become powerful players in the international community. With power comes responsibility.”
Martin Kaiser, Head of the Greenpeace Delegation said: “China is making big strides domestically in tackling pollution from its coal industry and advancing renewable energy, but is not yet translating it into a willingness to lead at a global level. Brazil is promoting the important principle of historical responsibility, but that’s no excuse for Brazil, or anyone to ditch their responsibilities over their current and future emissions."
Ed Davey pointed to progress that has been made in the establishment of a new rulebook and finance to strengthen work to tackle deforestation and also in the announcement that the UK is to join the United States in their policy of ending support for public financing of new coal-fired power plants overseas. This is to be combined with extra help from the UK for some of the world’s poorest to adapt to the climate change.
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