Late hitch threatens climate deal
Compensation fund to poorer countries hangs in the balance
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — A last-minute fight over emissions cutting and the overall climate change goal is delaying a potentially historic deal that would create a fund for compensating poor nations that are victims of extreme weather worsened by rich countries’ carbon pollution.
“We are extremely on overtime,” said Norwegian climate change minister Espen Barth Eide.
Eide said it came down to getting tougher on fossil fuel emissions and retaining the goal of limiting warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 Celsius) since pre-industrial times as was agreed during last year’s climate summit in Scotland.
“Some of us are trying to say that we actually have to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees (Celsius) and that requires some action. We have to reduce our use of fossil fuels, for instance,” Eide said. “But there’s a very strong fossil fuel lobby ... trying to block any language that we produce.”
Several cabinet ministers said earlier Saturday that agreement was reached on a fund for what negotiators call loss and damage. It would be a big win for poorer nations which have long called for cash — sometimes seen as reparations — because they are often the victims of climate disasters despite having contributed little to the pollution that heats up the globe.
However, the other issues are seemingly delaying any action. A meeting to approve an overall agreement was pushed back more than 2½ hours with little sign of diplomats getting together formally to approve something.
The loss and damage deal was a high point earlier in the day.
“This is how a 30-yearold journey of ours has finally, we hope, found fruition today,” said Pakistan Climate Minister Sherry Rehman, who often took the lead for the world’s poorest nations. One-third of her nation was submerged this summer by a devastating flood.
The United States, which in the past has been reluctant to talk about loss and damage, “is working to sign on,” said an official close to negotiations.
If an agreement is accepted, it still needs to be approved in a unanimous decision. But other parts of a deal, outlined in a package of proposals put out earlier in the day by the Egyptian chairs of the talks, are being
hammered out.
There was strong concern among developed and developing countries about proposals on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, known as mitigation. Officials said the language put forward by Egypt backtracked on some of the commitments made in Glasgow aimed at keeping alive the target of limiting global warming to 2.7 degrees.
The world has already warmed 2 degrees since the mid-19th century.
Some of the Egyptian language on mitigation seemingly reverted to the 2015 Paris agreement, which was before scientists knew how crucial the 2.7-degree threshold was, and heavily mentioned a 3.6-degree goal, which is why scientists and Europeans are afraid of backtracking, said climate
scientist Maarten van Aalst of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.
Still, the attention centered around the compensation fund, which has also been called a justice issue.
“There is an agreement on loss and damage,” Maldives Environment Minister Aminath Shauna said early Saturday afternoon. “That means for countries like ours we will have the mosaic of solutions that we have been advocating for.”
New Zealand Climate Minister James Shaw said both the poor countries that would get the money and the rich ones that would give it are on board with the proposed deal. China’s lead negotiator would not comment on a possible deal.
European negotiators said they were ready to back
the deal but declined to say so publicly until the entire package was approved.
According to the latest draft, the fund would initially draw on contributions from developed countries and other private and public sources such as international financial institutions. While major emerging economies such as China would not initially be required to contribute, that option remains on the table and will be negotiated in the coming years. This is a key demand by the European Union and the U.S., who argue that China and other large polluters currently classified as developing countries have the financial clout and responsibility to pay their way.
The planned fund would be largely aimed at the most vulnerable nations, though there would be room for middle-income countries that are severely battered by climate disasters to get aid.
An overarching decision that sums up the outcomes of the climate talks doesn’t include India’s call to phase down oil and natural gas, in addition to last year’s agreement to wean the world from unabated coal.
Several rich and developing nations called Saturday for a push to step up emissions cuts, warning
that the outcome barely builds on what was agreed in Glasgow. It also doesn’t
require developing countries such as India to submit any new targets before 2030.
Experts say these are needed to achieve the more ambitious 2.7-degree goal that would prevent some of the more extreme effects of climate change.