The determination of the 196 parties to COP 22 to move forward in the roadmap they have adopted to finalise, between now and 2018 (at COP 24 in Poland), the rules which will allow them to put into practice the provisions of the Paris Climate Agreement were welcomed by the EU on the evening of Friday 18 November, at the end of the working session. Although the NGOs were not entirely satisfied with the details for financing of €100 billion a year before and after 2020, all participants agreed with the EU that the impetus for Paris has not been lost.
This African COP, which brought together the parties to the Paris Agreement for the first time less than one year after this historic universal agreement was concluded – a first in itself – was not overshadowed by the questions hanging over the policy of American President Elect Donald Trump. This, in the view of the Europeans, was a second highly positive element and was warmly welcomed when the Proclamation of Marrakesh on climate actions and sustainable development was adopted (see EUROPE 11671).
"The progress here in Marrakesh is the clearest proof that the world is forging ahead on global climate action. Climate change is bigger than any one country or any one election. Despite all the current uncertainties, this is our clear message from Marrakesh: we will stand by Paris, we will defend Paris, and we will implement Paris", said European Commissioner for Climate Action Miguel Arias Canete, on Friday evening.
This proclamation has focused political commitment at the highest level to act determinedly to fight, together and with solidarity, against what has been recognised as a major and urgent challenge and to meet the degree of ambition over time in order to tackle the objectives laid down of limiting warming to 2°C by 2100, or 1.5°C for the average global warming.
But beyond that, the EU welcomed the progress made on the essential elements constituting the rules that will steer the implementation of the Paris Agreement, particularly the transparency of the national contributions, allowing these to be compared and monitored, and the five-year revision cycle of the contributions, with a view to increasing them.
"We have reaffirmed that the EU will deliver on its commitments whatever happens. Nevertheless, we are open to revise those objectives upwards, together with other major emitters, to be able to achieve the overarching Paris objective to keep the global temperature increase well below 2°C", said MEP Giovanni La Via (EPP, Italy), who led the Parliament's delegation in Marrakesh.
"There is still much work left on implementing the Paris Agreement: completing a rulebook for 2018 and providing finance for the climate mitigation projects as well as adaptation to climate change for developing countries. The EU must be ready to scale up its own targets and deliver a long-term strategy in 2018. The debate on how to reach a just transition in Europe [to a low-carbon economy: Ed] should not be delayed", added Jo Leinen (S&D, Germany), vice-president of the EP delegation. The European Parliament will debate the matter with representatives of the Commission and of the Council of the EU, in Strasbourg on Wednesday 23 November.
As regards the $100 billion a year pledged up to 2020 and until 2025 by the industrialised countries for developing countries, the EU was able to confirm that it will continue to pay its fair share (€17.6 billion in 2015). For the financing of the adaptation fund, which has an envelope of €81 million so far, if the promises come to fruition, the EU and its member states have pledged more than 90% of the new contributions announced.
The parties also agreed that the Paris committee on the development of the capacities of the developing countries to implement their national action plans will start work in 2017.
More major progress to be added to the results of COP 22: the parties decided to revise the Warsaw mechanism to deal with the questions of losses and damage suffered by the countries that are the most vulnerable, as they are the most exposed to the irreversible impacts of climate change.
The very many initiatives for the climate which made progress in Marrakesh include the following, which were announced by the EU: - contribution of €40 million from Germany and €20 million from the Commission to the G7 'InsuResilience' initiative aiming to provide access to insurance (direct or indirect) against climate impacts to 400 million vulnerable people in developing countries up to 2020; - the continuation of its support to investments in green electricity in the framework of the initiative for renewable energy in Africa up to 2020. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)