• About Us
  • Who Are We
  • Work With Us
Friday, July 1, 2022
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Globe Post
39 °f
New York
44 ° Fri
46 ° Sat
40 ° Sun
41 ° Mon
No Result
View All Result
The Globe Post
No Result
View All Result
Home Environment

UN Climate Talks Limp to Close as Europe Sizzles

Staff Writer by Staff Writer
06/27/19
in Environment, Featured
More than 14,500 people marched against climate change in Paris on October 13, 2018

More than 14,500 people marched against climate change in Paris on October 13, 2018. Photo: François Guillot, AFP

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Amid soaring temperatures and the direst warnings yet over the threat from global warming, nations were set to wrap up U.N. climate talks on Thursday with meager progress in the plan to avert climate disaster.

The annual U.N. negotiations in the German city of Bonn come in the midst of a Europe-wide heatwave and have exposed deep fissures between rich and developing countries on a number of contentious issues.

Here are three key takeaways from the talks:


Science Dispute

Countries are devising ways of making good on what they promised in the 2015 Paris climate deal, which aims to limit global temperature rises to 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 Farenheit).

A landmark report last year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that a safer cap of 1.5C rise would preferably see nations rapidly slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions via a sharp drawdown of fossil fuel use.

The Paris deal obligates nations to negotiate based on the “best available” science. But some high-polluting nations, led by Saudi Arabia, have questioned the IPCC’s findings, leading to angry exchanges in closed-door talks in Bonn.

Observers told AFP that the Saudi delegation reacted furiously to a suggested text proposed by moderators that welcomed the IPCC science. They said it also objected to the mention of specific IPCC emissions targets.

One draft text contained language proposed by Saudi and US delegations casting doubt on the IPCC’s findings and warned that such uncertainty could hamper decision-making at a political level.

The latest draft, seen by AFP, contains no mention of specific emissions targets and merely “noted” the heated debate.

Mohamed Adow, climate head at the Christian Aid campaign group, said the U.N. process must remain committed to forging policy based on the IPCC’s 1.5C aim.

“Our actions to tackle climate change must be informed by the best available science and the best available science is the IPCC report,” he said.

As a heatwave scorches Europe’s capital cities, UN climate talks are concluding with little progress made https://t.co/UBsJKKT4YO pic.twitter.com/KoIb3BGGnB

— Bloomberg (@business) June 27, 2019


Markets Impasse

One of the stickiest negotiating points of the Paris agreement is the article on how carbon markets are regulated and tracked.

Countries currently may sell emissions savings — say, from building a hydroelectric dam to reduce greenhouse gases from energy — to other nations to count towards their own national contribution to climate action.

The Paris agreement calls for a mechanism to guard against practices that could undermine efforts to limit emissions through trading schemes — including measures to ensure greenhouse gas savings are not double counted by both buying and selling nations.

A major bone of contention is also whether or not emissions credits accumulated by countries pre-Paris could be retained and cashed in in future.

Gry Bossen, policy and volunteer coordinator at Forests of the World, said the issue “could undermine the entire Paris Agreement if strong rules are not created”, preventing double counting and guaranteeing equity between rich and developing countries.

To achieve #ParisAgreement goals, companies need to drastically decarbonize their business. Yet despite its stated support, @BP_plc wants to drill for 30 million barrels of new oil! This must be held to account – actions speak louder than words. https://t.co/83Vh9GfHHj

— Al Gore (@algore) June 26, 2019


Progress?

After months of growing protests and civil disobedience from citizens imploring governments to act over climate change, many observers said they were disappointed with the lack of progress in Bonn.

Another source of disunity between richer, big-emitting nations and the developing ones already dealing with the fallout from climate change, is how at-risk countries can be compensated.

So-called “loss and damage” funding was under review in Bonn, but there was no agreement on how to raise the cash.

It is thought that $300 billion will be needed annually by 2030 to help nations deal with climate-related disasters.

“Are we keeping the promise we made in Paris of standing in solidarity with people facing climate emergency now?” asked Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid.

Food Can Be the Key to a Long-Term Climate Change Solution

ShareTweet
Staff Writer

Staff Writer

AFP with The Globe Post

Related Posts

Joe Biden climate summit
Environment

Biden Calls Clean Energy Matter of National Security in Face of Russia War

by Staff Writer
June 17, 2022
climate change
Environment

Developing Countries Left ‘Disappointed’ at Climate Talks

by Staff Writer
June 16, 2022
refugees
World

More Than 100 Million People Forcibly Displaced, UN Says

by Staff Writer
May 23, 2022
Volkswagen logo
Environment

German Farmer Sues Volkswagen Over CO2 Emissions

by Staff Writer
May 20, 2022
plastic
Environment

UN Agrees to Create ‘Historic’ Global Treaty on Plastic Trash

by Staff Writer
March 2, 2022
Afghan refugees
Opinion

The Insult of Borders

by Stephen J. Lyons
December 9, 2021
Next Post
The Supreme Court of the United States.

Supreme Court Rebuffs Trump on Census Citizenship Question

Hong Kong has been shaken by massive anti-government rallies this month

Hong Kong's Extradition Law is Suspended but Fight for Democracy Continues

Recommended

Mexico murdered journalists

Journalist Murdered in Mexico, 12th This Year

June 29, 2022
Spain migrants

Spain Prosecutor Opens Probe Into Melilla Migrant Deaths

June 28, 2022
Afghan refugees

Pakistani Migrants in Afghanistan Caught in Quake No-Man’s Land

June 27, 2022
Joe Biden climate summit

Biden Calls Clean Energy Matter of National Security in Face of Russia War

June 17, 2022
climate change

Developing Countries Left ‘Disappointed’ at Climate Talks

June 16, 2022
US President Donald Trump

Owning the Words and the Libs

June 16, 2022

Opinion

US President Donald Trump

Owning the Words and the Libs

June 16, 2022
Officers in Uvalde, Texas, stand outside Robb Elementary School near a makeshift memorial for the shooting victims

Child Sacrifice Makes a Comeback

June 3, 2022
A Lebanese election official stands at a polling station

New Group Threatens Lebanese Elections… and Potentially Middle East Peace

May 18, 2022
A man holding a gun

Safely Back in USA, Land of Guns and Burgers

May 2, 2022
China Muslim Uyghurs

Unfair Politicization, Corruption, and the Death of Modern Olympism

April 23, 2022
Ukraine war

The Ukrainian Refugee Crisis and the Hierarchies of Western Compassion

April 20, 2022
Facebook Twitter

Newsletter

Do you like our reporting?
SUBSCRIBE

About Us

The Globe Post

The Globe Post is part of Globe Post Media, a U.S. digital news organization that is publishing the world's best targeted news sites.

submit oped

© 2018 The Globe Post

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • World
  • Business
  • Interviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Democracy at Risk
    • Media Freedom
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Columns
    • Book Reviews
    • Stage
  • Submit Op-ed

© 2018 The Globe Post