It was to be the pinnacle for raising climate ambitions and boldness. But if the urgency was indeed in all the speeches at the extraordinary Climate Action Summit, which ended on Tuesday 24 September in New York, the commitments of the leaders of the major emitting countries were not met.
The 66 participating States - mainly small island States and developing countries - together contributing only 6.9% of global emissions, have committed themselves to raising their 2020 target and have endorsed the objective of climate neutrality by 2050. 66 countries out of 195 parties to the Paris Agreement.
The EU, which had built its contribution to the summit on a 'positive narrative' based on its binding legislation unique in the world, made no stunning announcements, recalling the message delivered by European Council President Donald Tusk that it will do better than its 2020 and 2030 targets (see EUROPE 12325/7). Proud of its action and convinced that it was a driving force for the other major economies, it did not, however, live up to the call of the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who hoped that the EU would announce that it would raise its 2030 target to a 55% reduction in its emissions compared to 1990.
"The EU has already exceeded its emission reduction target for 2020, and will surpass its target for 2030. Instead of the foreseen 40%, we expect a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of around 45%, as compared to 1990 levels. Turning our targets into concrete action is what matters, and this is what the EU is doing", said Donald Tusk. To reach 45%, the EU Energy/Climate legislation must also be fully implemented.
"The EU's emissions make up only around 9% of the global total", he said. It must be said that Saudi Arabia, Australia, Brazil and Japan have been conspicuous by their absence and that the United States is still turning its back on the Paris Agreement, despite the surprise appearance of the American President, Donald Trump, at the summit.
Failing to commit to climate neutrality by 2050 (only 24 Member States can currently support this objective), Mr Tusk stressed that the EU is aware that it must do more. And emphasized that 25% of the EU's multiannual budget (2021-2027) will be devoted to climate change and that the future President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has " suggested the strengthening of the EU's emission reduction target for 2030 to 50% or even 55% in a responsible way".
He announced that the EU will launch, "in the coming weeks", together with other countries, the "International Platform on Sustainable Finance" to help "private investors to identify and take advantage of the green investment opportunities across the globe".
Mr Tusk also recalled that the EU and its Member States provide "more than 40% of global public funding for climate change".
Green Climate Fund, Sweden, Luxembourg and Denmark stand out. In New York, these three EU Member States pledged to double their contribution to the Green Climate Fund.
"These countries demonstrated much-needed leadership and underscored the feasibility of climate action and ambition. They showed that the energy transition is ongoing and irreversible", said the Climate Action Network (CAN) of 1,500 NGOs disappointed, in addition, by the inability of large emitters to commit.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "the reference for our action must be the Paris Agreement, which sets the framework for limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees". She also assured that her country will reduce its emissions by 55% by 2030 and be climate-neutral by 2050.
French President Emmanuel Macron estimated that the 100 billion dollars per year by 2020 promised to help developing countries is "essential" and that "the immediate priority is the Fund's recapitalization conference, to be held on 24 and 25 October in Paris".
Recalling that Germany, the United Kingdom and France had "already doubled their contribution", he added: "France will contribute 1.5 billion, 80% of which will be in the form of donations. We are at 7 billion dollars, the target is 10 billion, to also compensate for the American withdrawal."
Mr Macron also welcomed the fact that, within the framework of the International Development Finance Club, commitments have been made to finance 1 trillion dollars for the climate by 2025. "It's a first step. The goal is to go to 4 trillion", he said.
Complaint by 16 young people against France and Germany, in particular. "You come to talk to us about hope. You stole my dreams and my childhood with your empty words", Greta Thunberg said in the gallery at the opening of the summit. The rhetoric disappointed the youth mobilized for the climate so much that 16 young people, led by Swedish activist, announced on 23 September, on the sidelines of the summit, that they would take legal action against Germany, France, Argentina, Brazil and Turkey for climate inaction that they believe violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Civil society believes that the Chilean presidency (COP 25 in December), followed by the British presidency of COP 26 (Scotland, 2020), must ensure that governments provide the right response to the urgency and ambition that put the world on a 1.5°C trajectory. COP 26 is the deadline, emphasizes CAN. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)