A new journey in
the fight against climate change has started from Paris, as governments commit
to build low-carbon economies.
The 2015 climate change conference has been the most
complicated and difficult negotiations, yet most important for humanity,
observed UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.
After two weeks of intense negotiations, the COP21 talks
finally produced a landmark Paris Agreement among the close to 200 countries
that participated to fight global warming.
The adoption of the 20-page final draft text marked a
historic turning point in France. For the first time, the talks has produced a
legally binding climate deal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 Celsius
above pre-industrial levels, to take effect from 2020.
“The solutions to climate change are on the
table. They are ours for the taking. Let us have the courage to grasp
them,” remarked Ki-moon at the presentation of the final draft.
He wants the outcome to be celebrated because it offers
“new hope for safety and prosperity for all on a healthy planet”.
The
road to Paris Agreement
Ahead of the Paris meeting, thousands of companies and
investors as well as regional governments announced their commitment to the
essential economic and social transformation to low-carbon, sustainable growth
and development.
Heads of state and government arrived in Paris early to
give their public support to the climate change talks.
At the opening ceremony, UN Climate Change Chief,
Christiana Figueres said that the eyes of millions of people around the world
were on the governments meeting in Paris.
“You have the opportunity, in fact the responsibility,
to finalize an agreement that enables the achievement of national climate
change goals, that delivers the necessary support for the developing world and
that catalyses continuously increasing ambition and action by all,” she said.
The optimism of French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius,
carried though the process of reaching an agreement, though with an additional
day to reach consensus.
For him, there had never been a better momentum to get
an ambitious, global climate deal and the responsibility was on national
governments to make necessary compromises.
Historic
Milestone midst sticky issues
Saturday afternoon was filled with hugs, cheers and
tears at Le Bourget – the COP21 venue – as the agreement was adopted after
decades of debate.
It has been acknowledged that this agreement alone will
not meet the threat of climate change, but that the battle over the reality of
climate change is over.
Climate finance for poor nations and differentiation
proved to be most difficult.
But in the end, the adopted text has generally
been welcomed by parties and observers.
“For the first
time in history, the whole world has made a public commitment to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and deal with the impacts of climate change,” said
Mohamed Adow, Senior Climate Advisor, Christian Aid. “Although different
countries will move at different speeds, the transition to a low carbon world
is now inevitable. Governments, investors and businesses must ride this wave or
be swept away by it.”
Some leading
climate activists and civil society organizations, however say governments
across the world would have to play catch up in the collective fight against
climate change.
“This deal
offers a frayed life-line to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
Only the vague promise of a new future climate funding target has been made,
while the deal does not force countries to cut emissions fast enough to
forestall a climate change catastrophe. This will only ramp up adaptation costs
further in the future,” said Helen Szoke, Executive Director, Oxfam. “We will
be holding them to account with the millions of people who marched in cities
all around the world so that dangerous warming is averted and the world’s
poorest and most vulnerable communities get the support that they need.”
Vulnerable Africa with Common Position
Africa went into
the negotiations with a common position, with climate finance and adaptation on
top of agenda for the African Group of Negotiators.
But civil
society umbrella body, the Pan Africa Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), is not
enthused with outcomes.
“The
Paris agreement is weak and insufficient to address the impacts of climate
change,” said Sam Ogallah, PACJA Program Manager. “The agreement shows clearly
that developed countries have succeeded in weakening the Convention, the
principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and got away with
historical responsibilities thereby shifting the additional burden of
addressing climate change to the developing countries”.
He is
worried the Paris Agreement will not keep the world to the below 1.5 degrees,
which will mean more losses and damages, floods, droughts, sea level rise and
conflicts in Africa.
Ban Ki-moon is counting on “developed countries to
provide financial resources for mitigation and adaptation, and to embark
decisively on a low-emissions pathway. And I ask all developing nations to play
an increasingly active role, according to their capacities”.
Mr.
Ogallah however says finance for adaptation in the agreement is not satisfactory
because there is no clear target. He said, for example, “reference to
collective short-term quantified goals for post-2020 period is missing and
there is only mandate to developed countries to biennially communicate
indicative qualitative and quantitative information”.
Hope
for an ambitious climate future
COP21 took off few weeks after a major terrorist attack
in Paris which informed the cancellation of some citizen centered activities –
especially the Peoples’ March – to demand climate justice.
However, several activities were staged to send clear
messages to governments on the need to keep the planet safe.
Faith-based groups, for instance, presented 1.8 million
signatures of people seeking a fair climate change agreement that would stop
global warming and protect the poor to the French President Francois Hollande.
Global civil society
groups mobilized a 'sit-in action' to build pressure in the last few hours to
ensure that Parties deliver a fair and ambitious outcome for the people and the
planet.
“Nature is sending urgent signals. People and countries
are threatened as never before. We have to do as science dictates. We must
protect the planet that sustains us,” said Ban Ki-moon.
Story originally
commissioned by Vita International
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