Brussels, 16/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - Despite the attacks on 13 November in Paris, the COP 21 will indeed still take place in the French capital, as confirmed by Laurent Fabius, who will be representing the French President, François Hollande, at the G20 meeting. In the spirit of the G20, the global climate agreement to be concluded is also expected to be binding.
On Monday 16 November in Antalya, Turkey, the heads of state from 20 of the most powerful countries on the planet, reaffirmed their determination to achieve this aim, even though they have still not explained what legal shape this agreement should assume, which effectively still leaves this question pending.
The final declaration by the G20 quite clearly indicates that “we assert our determination to adopt a protocol or other legal instrument or result underpinned by the law and as part of the United Nations Framework Convention, to be applicable to all parties”.
G20 leaders are aware that “climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our era” and that this agreement “should be fair, balanced, ambitious, sustainable and dynamic”. The text mentions the 2°C target but does not utter a single word at all about any re-examination, which is, nonetheless, very much cherished by developing countries, the European Union and in its position as Presidency of the COP, France. The EU supports a five yearly revision clause to enable all the different parties to develop and update at regular intervals and, if needs be, increase the level of the commitments and collectively attain the trajectory of keeping temperature rises to below the 2°C by 2100, despite the fact that the commitments made so far would reach a level of around 3°C. Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, reminded G20 leaders that “to be efficient, this agreement should provide a long-term perspective for reducing emissions. It is precisely for that reason we also need a mechanism for regular reviews of progress towards our common objective of below 2° C. Our current pledges are not a silver bullet which will turn things around at once”.
India and Saudi Arabia, however, had more than just misgivings and according to a senior official, speaking in a backdrop to the meeting explained: “Beginning to discuss this re-examination clause was the most controversial question. 18 countries supported it but India was against it and Saudi Arabia wasn't keen about it either. India wants to be able to discuss other re-examination mechanisms during the COP21 but not at G 20 level”.
G20 leaders, as the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, reminded them, are responsible for a total of “more than three quarters of greenhouse gas emissions in the world” but are committed to obtaining “an ambitious agreement that reflects the principle of common but differentiated capacity responsibility for the countries, in an effort to take into account the different national circumstances”. They welcome the fact that 161 parties have submitted their indications (INDC) to the UN and are calling on all the other parties that have not done so to meet this obligation before the COP21 and make a commitment to implementing their respective INDCs. They will provide a mandate to the negotiators to “make constructive commitments” to the discussions on all key questions still pending, such as mitigation, adaptation, financing, technology transfers and transparency of commitment.
Laurent Fabius and François Hollande are expected to make a lightning visit to India next weekend. This will provide an opportunity to step up climate diplomacy with this emerging country and third biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, which is soon expected to move into second place, just after China. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang with MB)