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| Representatives of NGOs wear elephant masks and hold banners at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Photo: AP |
Paris: Ministers from around the world, including Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, arrive in Paris this weekend facing an enormous task to finalise a new global agreement to tackle global warming. However there is a sense of optimism that solutions to some of the toughest disputes are starting to emerge.
The Paris talks are regarded by many observers as being in a better state than perhaps they might have been following the emergence of a draft version of the final agreement that had been reasonably pared back and delivered in good time.
American actor Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a speech during a meeting of mayors from around the world at the Paris city hall on Saturday. The meeting coincided with the UN Climate Conference and carried an environmental theme. |
| American actor Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a speech during a meeting of mayors from around the world at the Paris city hall on Saturday. The meeting coincided with the UN Climate Conference and carried an environmental theme. Photo: Thierry Chesnot |
But negotiators for a number of countries conceded many divisive topics – mostly centred around who should shoulder what amount of burden to tackle climate change – still remain unresolved and would require political intervention from ministers when they land.
Negotiators have worked hard since Tuesday to try hammer out some elements of the agreement before the draft text was handed over to the French organisers, which happened only an hour behind scheduled on Saturday – relatively punctual for United Nations climate talks.
France now officially takes over control of the negotiating process. From here the French – who are traditionally proud of their diplomatic acumen – will have to manage the cocktail of ministers, diplomats, business figures, non-government organisations and other players, in trying to find a path to a final agreement.
In a briefing on Saturday in Paris, the lead Chinese negotiator Su Wei struck a reasonably conciliatory tone about the state of the negotiations. But he said the work ahead would be arduous and several disagreements between the major players remained.
The potential pitfalls in the draft text – which has come back from more than 50 pages at the start of the summit to a bit over 20 – include:
- Climate funding to help poorer nations with climate change. Industrialised countries, including Australia, want to expand the donor base for this to include major emerging economies. But this has seen a pushback from many developing nations, though not all. The 2020 goal of $US100 billion ($136 billion) a year in aid from public and private sources is seen as the minimum annual target for post-2020.
- When and how emissions targets will be reviewed and assessed. There is a push on for five-yearly reviews starting early next decade from many countries, but India and others are resisting defiantly.
- Whether a goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees from pre-industrial will be included in the agreement alongside a separate aim of a sub-two degree goal. The lower target is a major demand of small island nations, which is being backed by Australia after a trade-off deal. Again India, along with Saudi Arabia, are trying to block this.
Long-time observer of the climate talks, and deputy chief executive of the Climate Institute, Erwin Jackson, said the draft text included most of the ingredients of an outcome in Paris that could further boost global action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He said an ambitious agreement was achievable "but it is going to require strong political leadership from ministers when they arrive next week."
"Momentum in the real economy continues to grow and it is now up to ministers to find the compromises that will see Paris ramp-up the transition to a net zero emissions global economy," he said.
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