France aims for a strong, legally binding climate deal in Paris

Imelda Abano, Anna Valmero and Shaira Panela

BANGKOK, Thailand –The French government is increasing pressure on world leaders from 196 nations to build momentum in achieving a new global climate change agreement in Paris and on ensuring the world doesn’t go beyond the 2 degrees warming level.

As host of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December this year, France acknowledges its responsibility to guarantee a transparent, collective ambition, and commit to achieve a universal agreement in Paris, Ambassador Philippe Zeller, Diplomatic Counsellor to the French Government and the Ambassador COP21 for Asia told journalists here.

“ Our goal is to build together a Paris Alliance for Climate that will enable us to limit the planet’s average temperature rise to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and adapt our societies to deal with climate disruption,” Zeller said.

In order to achieve this, Zeller enumerated four key points:

A Universal agreement in accordance with the Durban mandate, establishing rules and mechanisms capable of progressively achieving the goal of respecting the limits of 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2 degrees Celsius;
The presentation by all countries of their national contributions ahead of the climate talks in Paris in December this year in order to create a ripple effect and show that all countries are moving ahead in the same direction, depending on their national situations;
The financial aspect, which must support developing countries and enable the transition to resilient, low-carbon economies to be funded before and after 2020;
The strengthening of commitments from civil society and non-state actors and of multi-partner initiatives in the Lima Paris Action Agenda, in order to involve all stakeholders and begin concrete action without waiting for the future agreement to come into force into 2020

“ A universal, legally binding agreement is the key challenge for us. France is facing up to the responsibility of its future presidency with a determination to succeed and a commitment at the highest level of government. And the whole diplomatic network is working actively to this end,” Zeller said.

Unlike the Copenhagen climate talks in 2009, Zeller said there are stronger hopes from various alliances across the world, coupled with a strong appeal of Pope Francis through his encyclical to all religious leaders to urgently act on climate change and care for the environment.

“ We are on the right track, but time is short and the pace of the negotiations must be stepped up. At each meeting, everyone must agree to make the necessary choices in a spirit of mutual trust, so that in October at the latest all the issues will already have been discussed and solutions can be proposed,” Zeller said.

National climate actions

Zeller knows that the UNFCCC faces a tough challenge in Paris. But he stressed that positive actions are underway, with several countries that have declared their INDCs—their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions – which will specify their efforts to mitigate or reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To date, almost 45 countries have presented their contributions accounting for more than one-third of global emissions. The national climate action plans will be presented before and during the Conference of Parties 21 in Paris. So far, European Union countries, Switzerland, Norway, Gabon, the United States, Russia, Mexico, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Canada, Morocco, Ethiopia, Serbia, Iceland, China and South Korea have submitted their national action plans to the UNFCCC.

“ We are working with all our partners to ensure that every country presents, as soon as possible, a contribution which is as ambitious as possible given its responsibilities, capabilities and national circumstances,” Zeller stressed.

Finance is crucial

One of the key issues in the past climate talks is on finance. Rich countries were have promised to mobilize billions to assist developing countries to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Under the UNFCCC, countries committed to come up with US$100 billion a year by 2020 under the new financial mechanism, the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The fund to date has an initial capitalization of US$10.2 billion for the 2015-2018 period. This fund can play a key role in financing a range of projects and innovative solutions to climate change.

Asia leadership needed

Millions of people in the ASEAN face the increasing severe impacts of climate change, aggravated by the impacts of poverty and other social problems. The urgent and relevant question is, How important is the ASEAN leadership in pushing for a successful climate deal?

As a region severely affected by climate impacts, Southeast Asia has much at stake in the climate talks, said Zelda Soriano, legal and political advisor of Greenpeace Asia, who is also attending the forum here.

“ While the ASEAN is not a negotiating block, it has the power to lead and raise voice in pushing for a fair, ambitious and binding global climate deal as well as provisions on mitigation, adaptation, finance and loss and damage,” Soriano said.

For Riza Bernabe, policy coordinator of the Grow campaign of the Oxfam in Asia, civil society groups have a vital role in pushing policymakers to act on climate change.

“ ASEAN leaders must go beyond leadership and move towards progressive positioning in adaptation, mitigation and finance. Climate justice is vital and we need a good commitment especially in finance,” Bernabe said.

Elpidio Peria, a member of the Philippine delegation to the UNFCCC, said the Philippines has been on the frontline of climate change debates in the past climate talks. It’s leadership was hailed by other developing countries, Peria added.

“ What we need to watch out are issues on finance, mitigation, technology transfer, adaptation and loss and damage. We have to make sure of a clear and progressive commitment on these issues which are particularly important to developing countries.”

Though Timor-Leste is not a member of the ASEAN, former President Jose Ramos-Horta said both rich and poor countries “have the responsibilities towards our own people, our future generations.”

“ We must face up to the corroding impact of corruption, waste and mismanagement, exclusionary economic policies, deficits in social and political dialogue, politics of exclusion instead of inclusion,” Horta explained. “ However, all parties acknowledged the urgency to act and take further steps.”