Madrid to host UN climate summit (COP25) after Chile pulls out
Event
will take place from 2-13 December as planned after Spain intervenes to save
talks
The
world’s governments will meet in Madrid this December to discuss the climate
emergency, it has been confirmed, after a last-minute
intervention by the Spanish government to save the talks.
The
conference had been set to take place in Santiago, Chile, but the government of
President Sebastian Pinera decided
on Wednesday to call it off because of the unrest in the capital.
Scores of people have been killed and injured in weeks of rioting over economic
inequality and social problems.
After Chile withdrew, there
was concern that the annual talks might have to be scaled down, postponed or
even abandoned.
However,
on Friday afternoon, the UN’s top official on climate change, Patricia
Espinosa, issued a terse statement that COP25 would go ahead on the original
dates, 2-13 December, but in Madrid.
Scientific
warnings have become increasingly insistent that time is running out to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and stave off the worst damages of global heating. But
international negotiations under the UN have been slow and plagued by upsets
and backsliding, such as the US plans to withdraw from the Paris agreement,
Brazil’s rejection of its commitments by President Jair Bolsonaro, and the rise
of political populism in other regions.
Katherine
Kramer, the global climate lead at Christian Aid, said: “It’s a shame that
COP25 won’t be held in Latin America to highlight some of the grave climate
impacts that affect the region. But hopefully a Madrid summit will be able to
keep those in mind. Credit should be given to the Spanish government for
offering to help at such short notice … but it shows how important countries
view the UN process for tackling climate change that they are prepared to do
all they can to keep the talks on track.”
Tasneem
Essop, the interim executive director of the Climate Action Network, made up of
many NGOs with an interest in the issue, said: “We hope all steps are going to
be taken … to make access to this COP fair and inclusive. It is important that
there is the full participation of climate activists and observers from
different parts of the world to COP25 where important negotiations on the Paris
agreement are due to be undertaken.”
Some
activists who had set
sail for Chile from Europe were planning to continue their journey.
Others, particularly those from smaller organisations and delegations from poor
countries, were likely to find it hard to meet the costs of the venue change.
Greta
Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist who sparked the global student strikes,
had travelled as far as Los Angeles without flying and was planning to continue
to Santiago in time for the conference. On Friday she made a plea for help
getting back to Europe in
time for the conference.
“It
turns out I’ve travelled half around the world, the wrong way,” she tweeted.
“Now I need to find a way to cross the Atlantic in November … If anyone could
help me find transport I would be so grateful.”
This
year’s talks are essential to putting the 2015 Paris agreement into practice
and to pave the way for a crunch conference in the UK next year at which the
long-term response to the climate emergency will be decided. Many of the
world’s national commitments to cut greenhouse gases are pegged to a 2020
deadline, and if new commitments are to be set then next year will be crucial.
Link
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire