As negotiations rolled into their final hours on Thursday, it became clear that governments need to be reminded of the growing momentum for climate action being witnessed around the world. The Lima meeting began against a back-drop of a game-changing agreement between the world’s two largest emitters (the US and China); with a host of significant contributions toward the Green Climate Fund’s $10 billion goal for 2014; and unprecedented pressure from civil society and people everywhere for real political action for a fossil free future.
If Thursday had a single focus, it was to serve as that reminder. The Peruvian government launched a new platform - The ‘Nazca Climate Action portal’ - to showcase the range of progressive actions being undertaken by non-state actors like cities, subnational regions and companies. US Secretary of State John Kerry also made a brief stop in Lima, giving a rousing speech in a press conference. He demanded that citizens in Lima and around the world step up, and challenge their leaders on climate issues.
Kerry’s words were the perfect cue. Young people from the US and Canada greeted journalists leaving the press conference with a colorful action urging the US and Canadian governments to turn their back on dirty energy - specifically tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline.
Negotiations continued with little progress throughout most of the day. Much of the focus was on the text tackling the scope and process surrounding countries’ national contributions to the post-2020 deal, and on ways to boost climate action pre-2020. After slow deliberations, a new version of this text was presented to governments at 10:30pm. It is hoped this new proposal will form the basis of discussions tomorrow, and ultimately make up the final outcome of the conference.
In a stocktaking meeting late Thursday, governments were reminded of the weight of task ahead of them, as COP President Manuel Pulgar-Vidal warned: "we don’t want repositions, we need to bring to the table proposals in very constructive way." Negotiations on this new text will now get underway early Friday.
From our partners
Australia won today’s Fossil of the Day prize, which means they have now won five out of the 10 awards given so far. Today’s award comes in response to comments by the country's Trade Minister, Andrew Robb that Australia would not sign up to a new global deal if major trade competitors are not doing so, while travelling to the talks with BHP lobbyists.
Climate Action Tracker have also shined the spotlight on Australiatoday. Their latest report makes for some sobering reading, showing that under the current government’s policies, the country’s emissions could soar, increasing by as much as 50% above 1990 levels by 2020. Check out our Tree Alert for more on this report.
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the UN climate talks today had reach outside of the negotiating halls, as US activist generated a Twitterstorm demanding the Obama administration reject the Keystone XL pipeline.
Many of our partners also took to social media to react to Kerry’s speech, welcoming his call for action, which offers negotiators in Lima a timely reminder of what is at stake this week.
And while much of the focus was on the US and the Keystone XL Pipeline today, Canadian youth groups also drew attention to the climate and environmental impact of tar sands, calling on their government to include this polluting industry in its emissions accounting.
In their daily press conference Thursday, CAN International focused its attention to finance and the important role it could play in unplugging some of the current blockages in the negotiations. CAN members are calling for governments in Lima to agree a roadmap to ensuring countries meet their target of providing $100 billion of climate finance each year by 2020.
In the news
AFP offers a look at thestate of play going into the final stretch of the negotiations, warning over the slow progress against a clock that is rapidly ticking down.
RTCC also breaks down just where the negotiations stand on Thursday, as they report that host of next year’s COP21 conference, France raise concern the Lima talks could leave a lot of work to do over the next year.
As the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases all eyes are now on India to step up to the plate with its climate action pledge, reports Business Insider.
While new reports show Australia’s emissions are set to soar, its friend and ally Canada could be missing the memo on climate change, with new research from Environment Canada announcing the glaring truth that the country will not fulfill emissions reduction commitment by 2020.
Much of Thursday’s media focus was on US Secretary of State, John Kerry’s visit to the conference. The Sydney Morning Herald focuses on Kerry’s call for governments to stop arguing over who’s most responsible for the problem, while the UK’s Telegraph says Kerry warned the “science is screaming at us.”
Outside of the negotiations, Japan's weather bureau has become the first major meteorological bureau to declare an El Nino weather phenomenon which can bring severe droughts to south-east Asia and Australia.
From the Negotiator Trackers
Leehi Yona celebrates the official union of the Canadian government and the fossil fuel industry in this great satirical post.
Santiago Ortega introduces the world to the newest member of the Independent Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean States, Paraguay, while Federico Brocchieri profiles the group as a whole.
Anna Pérez Català offers her take on Wednesday’s climate march.
Keeping check back at http://adoptanegotiator.org for a run down of the final moments of the negotiations.
Tools and resources
CAN International’s latest ECO newsletter includes a break-up note to the fossil fuel industry and a checklist of the dos and don'ts of pre-2020 ambition.
Check out the latest round-up from the ENB, as well as their photo-blog of today’s action.
Track the talks on TckTckTck’s daily liveblog
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Environmental journalist Tierney Smith writes for the Global Call for Climate Action tcktcktck website and updates social media channels. She reports live from UN Climate Talks around the world.