Originally published on the CGS blog on November 21, 2013.
Time is running out for countries to forge a new global agreement to address climate change. The intent of the COP19, this year’s meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Warsaw, Poland, was to lay the foundation of a new agreement. The hope was that then, world leaders would commit to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at a UN Climate Summit in 2014 in New York, with climate accords signed in Paris in 2015 – to come into force by 2020.
However, hundreds of activist walked out of COP19 to protest a lack of progress. The walkout was organized by groups such as Greenpeace, Oxfam, 350.org, the International Trade Union Confederation, ActionAid International, WWF and Friends of the Earth. Here’s a Democracy Now report on the walkout:
Their action followed a walk out by a group of 133 developing nations from an important negotiation. The issue at the core of this controversy is centered on how much responsibility nations that have emitted the most greenhouse gas should have to compensate developing nations that are receiving the brunt of damage from climate induced extreme weather.
In addition, emerging economies like China and Brazil are resisting a push to lay down clear commitments by 2014. The U.S. has also said its commitments would not be ready until early 2015 (my guess is to avoid controversy in the 2014 midterm elections). Japan announced that because of the Fukushima disaster, instead of a 25% greenhouse gas reduction by 2020, it would have a 3% increase. Canada, Russia and Australia are also reported to be walking away from previous commitments.
“If we go with the spirit of the lack of urgency that we see in these talks, we are headed for another disaster in Paris in 2015 and we need to avert it at all cost,” Greenpeace head Kumi Naidoo told The Associated Press. “We cannot afford to get it wrong again in 2015,” he said.
The bottom line is that climate change must be resolved. We face no greater challenge. It demands a global solution. Our immediate goal should be to focus on U.S. leadership in New York in 2014. President Obama must come armed with an agreement that can be accepted around the world and in Washington. Not an easy goal, but an essential one. More to come on this topic.
