(VOVworld) – The 21st Summit of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) will try to reach a binding agreement to limit rising global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the 21st century.
COP 21 is taking place amid rising concerns about the imminent effects of climate change on every nation. A report released by the UN before the summit said natural disasters as a consequence of climate change have claimed the lives of more than 600,000 people in the last 20 years. The number of casualties due to natural disasters equals the number due to terrorist attacks. Climate change is as great a global threat as terrorism. According to the World Meteorological Organization the years from 2011 to 2015 have been the warmest five-year period on record and the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached new highs.
Consensus
In contrast to previous summits many countries, including the US and China, who produce half of the global greenhouse gases, committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the first day of COP21. Chinese President Xi Jinping said rich countries should bear greater responsibility in controlling global warming and help poor countries deal with climate change. US President Barack Obama admitted that the US, who is the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter after China, has a big responsibility in addressing climate change issues. President Obama announced on Facebook that he will call for support from other countries in developing clean energy and adapting to climate change. The US has pledged to cut its emissions 28% by 2030. Mexico’s Environment Minister Rafael Pacchiano Alaman said Mexico will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 22% and its black carbon emissions 51% by 2030. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Vietnam will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 8% by 2030 - 25% if it receives international support.
COP21 provides an opportunity for multi-billion-USD clean technology initiatives to help poor countries achieve green growth. The US, France, India and 17 other countries have announced they will double their budgets for clean energy research and development over the next 5 years. The World Bank said it will establish a 500-million-USD fund to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canada’s new cabinet pledged to contribute 2.65 billion USD to the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF) while the UK, France, Germany, and Japan committed 1 billion USD each.
Differences to be settled
The biggest gap is the degree of responsibility acknowledged by developed and developing nations. Developed countries led by the EU and the US want developing countries to make similar commitments to reaching greenhouse gas emissions arguing that many developing nations are becoming richer. Developing nations say they still need to reduce poverty and improve their standard of living so they still need support from developed nations, who produce most of the greenhouse gases.
Money is another problem. The world community is trying to mobilize 100 billion USD a year to help less developed countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. France, the host of COP21, said this amount of money is a precondition for guaranteeing the summit’s success. But rich countries so far have committed just a little more than 75 billion USD and observers say even 100 billion USD will not be enough to limit rising global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius.
Enforcing any agreement reached at COP21 is another contentious issue. US Secretary of State John Kerry said this agreement will not be a legally binding convention like the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. This will be a difficult discussion topic at COP21 along with monitoring the implementation of commitments made by participating countries.