Paris deal sets chance for real change
RICH NATIONS TO AID AT-RISK COUNTRIES
LE BOURGET, FRANCE: The final draft of an unprecedented climate deal was presented to negotiators from nearly 200 nations yesterday in a bid to slow rising temperatures and sea levels.
The Paris agreement commits countries to keeping the rise in global temperatures by the year 2100 compared with pre-industrial times “well below” 2C and “endeavour to limit” them even more, to 1.5C. That was a key demand of poor countries ravaged by the effects of climate change and rising sea levels.
They would also be committed to limiting the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100.
Negotiators had a few hours to analyse the draft before going into a plenary meeting late last night for possible adoption.
French President Francois Hollande said “the decisive agreement for the planet is here and now” in calling on delegates to adopt “the first universal agreement on climate”.
The deal, meant to take effect in 2020, would be the first to ask all countries to join the fight against global warming, representing a sea change in the UN talks, which previously required only wealthy nations to reduce their emissions.
“This is a good text,” said Brazilian Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira. “Brazil can accept this.”
Some delegates, however, noted that the long-term temperature goals would not be achieved by the emissions targets more than 180 countries have set for themselves so far. Thailand set a goal of reducing emissions by 20% from current levels, and up to 25% with international assistance.
The new version removes disputed concepts like “climate neutrality” or “emissions neutrality” which had appeared in earlier drafts but met opposition from countries including China. It sets a goal of getting global greenhouse gas emissions to start falling “as soon as possible”; they have been generally rising since the industrial revolution.
It says wealthy nations should continue to provide financial support for poor nations to cope with climate change and “encouraged” other countries to pitch in on a voluntary basis. That reflects Western attempts to expand the donor base to include advanced developing countries such as China.
In what would be a victory for small island nations, the draft includes a section highlighting the losses they expect to incur from climate-related disasters that it’s too late to adapt to. However, a footnote specifies that it “does not involve or provide any basis for any liability or compensation” — a key US demand because it would let the Obama administration sign on to the deal without going through the Republicanled Senate.
Thai activists said the energy sector and businesses would have to make dramatic changes to meet the country’s targets.
Good Governance for Social Development director Bantoon Sethasiroj said the agreement sent a strong message and called for Thailand to make a greater investment in clean energy technology.
Mr Bantoon warned businesses would also be under pressure to limit their carbon footprints, with potential trade sanctions awaiting exporters who breach accepted limits.
International activists who say the agreement won’t go far enough held protests across Paris yesterday, calling attention to populations threatened by melting glaciers, rising seas and expanding deserts.
“This puts the fossil fuel industry on the wrong side of history,” said Kumi Naidoo of Greenpeace. “This deal alone won’t dig us out of the hole we’re in.”
The world has already warmed by about 1C since pre-industrial times, and poor low-lying nations have pushed to set a goal of limiting the rise to another half-degree on top of that.
Ben Strauss, a sea level researcher at Climate Central, said limiting warming to 1.5C instead of 2C could potentially cut in half the projected 280 million people whose houses will eventually be submerged by rising seas. The UN has been working for more than two decades to persuade governments to work together to reduce the man-made emissions that scientists say are warming the planet.