As the usual battles over climate finance continue to dominate events at COP21, with a new negotiating text scheduled for release this morning. the highlight of my yesterday was my visit to Paris de L’Avenir, an en plein air space showcasing tangible solutions to the impacts of global warming at Hotel de Ville.
I arrived just as workers hustled to install entry gates and turnstiles and security forces began roping off the outdoor exhibition, scheduled to open today.
Without doubt, the most striking part of the event were the huge illustrations highlighting the entrances to the exhibit which juxtaposed how major global cities and ancient historical sights might look by the end of the 21st century. Innovations in the open square providing exhilerating examples of how coupling creative and scientific development can advance the shift to a carbon neutral future.
Follow the captions under the stories as I post developments from Day 4 of the Talks.
News Updates
From Josh Wiese and Tierney Smith
Germany held a press conference early Thursday morning where the country's environment minister said the agreed 2C goal was too weak and 1.5C “must be mentioned” in a UN treaty. Germany's move toward a more ambitious long-term goal follows French president Francois Hollande’s assertion that global warming should be limited to 1.5C “if possible”, in his speech to world leaders on Monday.
In a CAN-International Press Conference today, Oil Change International’s Alex Doukas said: “The truth is there is no need for rich countries to resort to dodgy accounting practices, we know where we can find some of that much needed cash.” Today, the group released new analysis showing that G7 countries, along with Australia, spend 40 times more on support for fossil fuel production than they do in contributions to the Green Climate Fund.
Finance
Divisions over finance continue to dominate media coverage:
Poor nations warn money holds key to climate deal: "Angry developing nations warned Thursday that UN talks aimed at averting catastrophic climate change are at risk without a deal on the hot-button issue of financing." (AFP)
China joins poor countries in pointing finger at wealthy states over emissions: "The UN climate negotiations in Paris descended into recriminations on Thursday as China and two groups of developing countries accused the US and others of undermining trust and trying to evade responsibly
to cut emissions." (The Guardian) and The 'red line' issue that exposes deep divisions in the Paris climate talks (The Guardian)
"China, India and developing countries representing 80 per cent of the world’s population have shocked the Paris climate change conference with a united, hardline stance on demands for hundreds of billions of dollars in finance.” (The Australian)
"...the G77+ China group collectively and publicly condemned the moves of the developed nations to change the terms on which climate finance is to be delivered by the latter under the Paris agreement." (Business Standard)
"...the G77 and China… strongly [object] to the attempts made by the rich nations to dilute the Convention that sought the developed countries to extend support to their poor counterparts." (Times of India)
Show us the money, say G77+China (The Indian Express)
Don’t shift responsibility on funds, India tells developed nations: “The emphasis should be on the amount of money that is being raised and not on the number of countries in the donor list,” said Ajay Mathur, a key Indian negotiator." (The Indian Express)
Climate agreement draft deepens rich-poor nation divide: "A new draft of an ambitious climate agreement in Paris deepened divisions between rich and developing nations on Thursday, as a negotiator from an affluent country described New Delhi as “difficult” after India and China rejected a proposal that they become donors rather than recipients of climate funds." (Hindustan Times)
Developing nations shift emissions stance in climate talks: "...some least-developed nations continued to make the case for an agreement that reflects that poor countries can't do as much as rich ones." (AP, Seth Borenstein, Karl Ritter)
Meanwhile...
Rich nations' fossil fuel subsidies exceed climate aid 40 to 1-researchers: "Eight industrialised nations - Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States - spend a combined $80 billion a year on public support for fossil fuel production, but have pledged only about $2 billion a year to the Green Climate Fund, Oil Change International said." (Reuters)
Ban Ki-moon: Leading economies must deliver on climate financing (Business Standard News)
Some good news:
Africa’s green belt gets greenbacks to halt spreading Sahara: "The plan to restore land across a dozen countries got a boost on Tuesday, as governments and international donors pledged US$4 billion over the next five years at UN climate talks in Paris." (Climate Home)
Other process bits…
We missed out on an India/US joint statement, apparently…
“The US President's fondest hope was that India would agree to a cap on its coal-based emissions. His plan B, a binding agreement for a five-year global review mechanism of what each country had done to cut carbon emissions. India gave a thumbs down to both. The gap was so great that even a hoped-for joint statement did not materialise, said Indian sources.” (Hindustan Times)
EU sidelined by US, China say experts: "Previously, the EU has dominated these talks, but playing at home, observers say ‘Team Brussels’ is rudderless." (Climate Home)
Germany and France back 1.5C global warming limit: "Germany’s top environment spokesperson has declared support for a 1.5C temperature limit in the climate agreement being negotiated in Paris." (Climate Home)
"Hunt said Australia was acting as a “shuttle” or “broker” on [the issue of 1.5 degrees] saying the concerns of those countries might be “referenced” in the final agreement but that inscribing it as a goal would be a “red line” for other nations and jeopardise the deal." (The Guardian)
Legally binding climate deal possible: "The ongoing Paris climate conference could result in a package consisting of a legally binding agreement, China's chief climate change official said in the French capital on Thursday." (China Daily)