EU threatens to stroll away from UN local weather talks

By admin Last updated Nov 19, 2022

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The EU has made a dramatic menace to stroll away from the fraught COP27 local weather talks in Egypt on account of renewed issues that the UN summit may backslide on earlier agreements to restrict international warming.

“We are not looking for 1.5C to die right here right now,” mentioned Timmermans, referring to a purpose within the 2015 Paris Settlement to maintain international warming nicely beneath 2C from pre-industrial occasions, and ideally 1.5C.

The summit was on account of finish on Friday however prolonged into the weekend as negotiators remained in disagreement about key points. These embody a proposal that wealthy nations ought to present “loss and harm” funding for poorer nations struggling the consequences of local weather change, the place talks had been deadlocked.

“All the things is on the desk, these are excessive stakes, capitals are being referred to as,” mentioned one European diplomat.

The query of how nations would step up their cuts in emissions was additionally at stake on Friday night time, fuelling some negotiators’ issues that the 1.5C goal may be in jeopardy.

“We’d somewhat haven’t any resolution than a nasty resolution,” EU local weather chief Frans Timmermans instructed reporters at Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday.

“All ministers . . . like myself are ready to stroll away if we do not need a end result that does justice to what the world is ready for, specifically that we do one thing about this local weather disaster,” he mentioned.

Solar Zhen, China’s deputy director-general of local weather change, is on the COP talks. China is amongst nations resisting EU proposals © AP

China and Saudi Arabia had been among the many nations resisting elevated motion on reducing emissions in addition to the proposal by the EU on “loss and harm” funding for probably the most susceptible nations, in line with folks with information of the discussions.

Whereas local weather COPs are at all times fractious and infrequently finish on time, it’s uncommon for a big group of western nations such because the EU to make a last-minute menace of a walkout.

The bloc has confused the significance of constructing on final yr’s Glasgow Local weather Pact, which included a dedication to cut back using coal, the dirtiest fossil gasoline.

COP27 president Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s overseas minister, mentioned on Saturday that the draft textual content of the ultimate settlement would preserve the 1.5C purpose alive whereas taking a “holistic method in coping with the challenges of local weather change”.

Shoukry mentioned there was “equal dissatisfaction in all quarters” however insisted the “overwhelming majority” of events would discover a foundation for an settlement.

“There may be by no means an ideal resolution however there’s an effort that I’ve exerted to supply the premise that we will transfer ahead upon,” Shoukry mentioned. “Reaching a degree of convergence takes some effort.”

There have been additionally issues about how the Egyptian presidency was dealing with the summit. “I’ve by no means skilled something like this: untransparent, unpredictable and chaotic,” mentioned one delegate.

Nations’ negotiating groups had been solely given a short while to evaluation up to date texts for a number of key excellent points within the early hours of the morning; this was “not a ordinary process,” mentioned one EU official.