A climate agreement in Glasgow seems achievable.


GLASGOW — Negotiators from 200 countries appear to be approaching an agreement late Saturday that aims to set conditions to prevent dangerous levels of global warming, but there is no tension over how to pay countries least responsible for the problem but incurring irreparable harm.

“It’s time for future generations to come together in ways none of us thought we’d have the opportunity to do,” said US climate ambassador John Kerry. He described the text as a “strong statement”.

Not everyone agreed. Maldives’ environment minister, Shauna Aminath, said the latest text lacked the “urgency” needed by vulnerable countries like hers. “What seems balanced and pragmatic to other parties is not going to help the Maldives adapt over time,” he said.

The representatives spent most of the day arguing over language in a language. revised draft agreement — The third version put together during the summit known as COP26. By tradition, all countries must agree on the language; If anyone objects, the negotiations are deadlocked.

Frans Timmermans, vice-president of the European Union, urged negotiators to accept the third version and said he feared “stumbled in this marathon a few meters from the finish line”.

He urged each country to set aside its specific concerns to focus on the larger crisis.

He urged the group to “act with the urgency necessary for our survival”, saying, “For God’s sake, don’t want more text, different text, and delete this and delete this and not kill this moment.” Please embrace this text so that we can bring hope into the hearts of our children and grandchildren.”

Andrea Meza, Costa Rican Minister of Environment and Energy, summed up the situation: “We don’t have a perfect package, but we do have a possible package.”

The latest draft, largely similar to the one released Friday, urged nations to return next year, rather than 2025, with stronger commitments to reduce planet-warming emissions this decade. It urged wealthy countries to “at least double” by 2025 their financial aid to developing countries to help them adapt to heatwaves, floods, droughts and wildfires.

He called on countries to step up efforts “to phase out uninterrupted coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, recognizing the need for support for a just transition.” This language acknowledges the need to help workers in polluting countries who may be displaced after the transition to wind, solar or other green energy.

Although the burning of fossil fuels is the root cause of global warming, any reference to “fossil fuels” would be the first time these words were mentioned in an international climate agreement.

“The Glasgow Climate Pact has failed to prioritize climate finance for developing countries to move away from fossil fuels, adapt to worsening impacts and cope with the irreparable loss and damage from climate change,” said Rachel Cleetus, policy director for the Association of Concerned Scientists. .

The UK, which hosted the summit, said its aim was to ensure that the planet did not warm by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, by 2100, compared to the average global temperature during the Industrial Revolution. This is the threshold that scientists say is where catastrophic heat waves, fires and floods become significantly more likely. This goal cannot be achieved anywhere.

“It’s tame, weak, and the 1.5 Celsius target is just alive,” said Jennifer Morgan, president of Greenpeace. “But a signal has been sent that the coal age is over. And that’s important.”

Dan Jorgensen, Denmark’s minister of climate, energy and utilities, said he is optimistic that the coal and fossil fuel language will remain in the eventual agreement.

“We all agree that climate change is the greatest threat to our civilization, and we all know what its causes are,” he said. “This is not about embarrassing those countries. We all need to accept that countries that need to move away from coal also need help.”

Lisa Friedman contributing reporting



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