Brussels, 01/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On 1 April, 34 countries had submitted to the secretariat general of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) their intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) to the global climate agreement which is to be concluded in Paris in December (COP21). The US, Russia and Gabon have joined Norway, Switzerland, the 28 members states of the European Union and Mexico (see EUROPE 11285), the UN announced on Wednesday.
As predicted, the US (the world's second largest polluter after China) met its obligation on the 31 March deadline, formally confirming the objective announced in November of a 26-28% reduction in national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025 compared with 2005. According to the UN, with Russia's INDC submitted on 1 April, 32 developed countries contributing to nearly 80% of the total emissions of industrialised countries have now officially put their cards on the table.
Gabon is the first African country to have submitted its INDC, which was particularly welcomed by Christiana Figueres, UNFCC Executive Secretary. The NGO network CAN Europe hailed the US INDC but believes that both the US and the EU (a reduction of at least 40% of emissions by 2030 compared with 1990) should increase their level of ambition in order to be consistent with the target of eliminating fossil fuels by 2050 and to respect the 2 degrees Celsius target. (Aminata Niang)