Much ado about nothing? With a sense of urgency and momentum for greater ambition, COP25 ended on Sunday 15 December in Madrid, two days late, with a minimal agreement that disappointed the EU. But it has already chosen to look forward: COP26 (Glasgow, end of 2020).
The parties to the Paris Agreement have responded with urgency to the climate emergency and calls from the street by deferring all the irritating issues – rules that will govern international carbon markets, transparency rules, financing for developing countries that already have the most to suffer from global warming.
And while this COP was supposed to create a new dynamic to increase nationally determined contributions (NDC), many countries, led by the United States, Australia and Brazil, stood idly by. As a result, only countries together accounting for 10% of global emissions have committed to increase their ambition.
The parties have agreed that they will update their NDC in 2020 to reflect their greatest possible ambition.
On Monday 16 December, the outgoing Finnish Presidency replied to the press, who asked if this pitiful result might not weaken the Green Deal: “On the contrary, the Green Deal is more necessary than ever”. The draft law on the EU’s climate neutrality target by 2050 is expected in March (although Poland considers itself exempt from implementation) and a proposal to raise the EU’s 2030 target to a 50% or even 55% reduction in emissions in the autumn, in time for COP26 (see EUROPE 12389/1, 12388/1).
“With the #EUGreenDeal adopted and #COP25 behind us, now we look forward to raising global ambitions at #COP26 in 2020. Next year, we will continue to work with our partners and make sure that we all face head-on the urgent challenge of climate change”, Frans Timmermans commented on Sunday after the COP.
According to the Commission and the Finnish Minister for Environment and Climate, Krista Mikkonen, who negotiated hand in hand on behalf of the EU, the failure of the parties to the Paris Agreement to agree on robust rules to govern international carbon markets in the future is a regrettable failure (see EUROPE 12387/8).
“It is disappointing that after years of hard work and especially during the last 2 weeks that we could not agree on Article 6 providing incentives to reduce emissions now and in the future without undermining environmental integrity”, they said.
The EU also expresses its concern at the lack of agreement on transparency “despite the utmost importance of these issue for implementing Paris Agreement”.
This COP under the Chilean Presidency, which Spain had accepted at the earliest opportunity to take over the organisation, “left a bitter-sweet taste” to the Spanish Minister of the Environment, Teresa Ribera. Nevertheless, Spain was praised by all.
Loss and damage. COP25 completed the second review of the Warsaw International Mechanism. Countries will initiate a discussion on financing and create a new group of experts to provide advice. The Green Climate Fund has been tasked with addressing this issue.
A new action plan for gender equality. It aims to increase women’s participation and leadership in international negotiations, the design and implementation of climate policies. The EU welcomed this.
Financing. Developed countries have committed nearly $90 million in new adaptation funds and have made additional commitments to the Green Climate Fund, but this is still far from the $100 billion per year promised between now and 2020 and 2025.
“As the major polluters break up and go round in circles, the global movement for climate action is growing and strengthening. Young people are fighting for a safer future, showing the leadership that governments sorely lacks. Front-line communities from Fiji to Malawi and Peru are responding”, Oxfam commented. The NGO sees this as a reason to be positive. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)