Representatives from around 190 nations have
started the latest phase of negotiations in Geneva a couple of weeks ago to
discuss climate change concerns.
The international agreement which covers over
100 concerns was contained in a 37-page draft that still needs to be prepared
for negotiations in May and June, then ratification by the end of the year.
Pressure to get a final decision on the climate
accord is mounting as both the global sea and land surface temperatures have
reached record levels last year. All the leading countries have to declare
emission targets by March so it's no surprise that the EU is reportedly
exerting pressure to get pledges from its members.
At the start of the conference, EU has already
recognized that the target countries might not be able to contain the rise of
global temperature below the ideal threshold of 2°C. (That critical 2 degrees
is the threshold that Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change thinks is a
tipping point on a major climate change.)
According to Westward Group Alternatives, the
draft highlights the divide between developing countries and their wealthier
counterparts. So another concern is directed to the developing nations: should
they also be required to make a carbon-reduction pledge? Also, there's the
question of whether developed nations ought to compensate them for losses
related to climate change.
During a UN press interview, the European Union
negotiator said, "We are concerned the targets set in Paris may fall short
of what is required by science, that it will not be exactly what is required to
remain within the 2 degrees."
The US itself has committed to decreasing their
emissions by 27% in the next 10 years along with creating another more
ambitious international climate change accord. Westward Group Alternatives has
previously reported that the US considers climate change as a risk to national
security, so much so that it considers postponing the reductions could turn out
to be more expensive in the long run.
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