Climate talks hosted by the French government this week achieved significant progress on key issues ahead of a proposed global pact later this year, say participants.
Ministers from 46 countries converged on Paris for the two-day summit, aimed at speeding negotiations that were recently described as travelling at a “snail’s pace” by Ban Ki-moon.
Critically, there appears to be a better understanding of how the responsibilities of slashing greenhouse gas emissions will be balanced between rich and poor countries.
Giza Gaspar Martins, a diplomat from Angola, told RTCC governments will “self-differentiate” and evaluate their capacity to contribute to a UN deal.
“We are moving away from attempting to develop lists of countries and where they fit in terms of a category,” said Martins, who leads the world’s poorest countries in the UN’s climate negotiations. “Because we are self-differentiating, countries will describe where each ought to be in a pecking order.”
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The surge in the frequency and intensity of climate change impacts has raised the alarm about how this could hamper coastal activities. Several critical ports in the Indo-Pacific region are hubs of international trade and commerce and at the same time vulnerable to typhoons, taller waves and erosion. India’s climate diplomacy at the regional level could activate climate-resilient pathways for port development and management.
After an 18-month stretch without a White House science adviser – the longest any modern president has gone without a science adviser – Trump appoints extreme weather expert Kelvin Droegemeier to the post. Kelvin Droegemeier is vice president for research at the University of Oklahoma and a climate change scientist. His selection was widely welcomed.
Climate change threatens conflict and poverty in the Arab region, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP). In a report published last week, the agency suggested climate risks could derail development gains, such as the decrease in infant mortality and the achievement of near universal primary education.
The links between climate change and security have started entering regional resolutions through the UN Security Council. Germany, elected for a seat on the Council in 2019-20, will again prioritize climate-related security risks as one of its main agendas. What prospects does a renewed engagement on climate security risks offer and is there scope for preventive participation?