They
can’t even agree on an IPCC report that scarcely begins to reflect
reality.
Climate
change: COP24 fails to adopt key scientific report
BBC,
7
December, 2018
Attempts
to incorporate a key scientific study into global climate talks in
Poland have failed.
Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it’s time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes? The U.S. was way ahead of the curve on that and the only major country where emissions went down last year!
The
IPCC report on the impacts of a temperature rise of 1.5C, had a
significant impact when it was launched last October.
Scientists
and many delegates in Poland were shocked as the US, Saudi Arabia,
Russia and Kuwait objected to this meeting "welcoming" the
report.
It
was the 2015 climate conference that had commissioned the landmark
study.
The
report said that the world is now completely off track, heading more
towards 3C this century rather than 1.5C.
Keeping
to the preferred target would need "rapid, far-reaching and
unprecedented changes in all aspects of society". If warming was
to be kept to 1.5C this century, then emissions of carbon dioxide
would have to be reduced by 45% by 2030.
The
report, launched in Incheon in South Korea, had an immediate impact
winning praise from politicians all over the world.
But
negotiators here ran into serious trouble when Saudi Arabia, the US,
Russia and Kuwait objected to the conference "welcoming"
the document.
Instead
they wanted to support a much more lukewarm phrase, that the
conference would "take note" of the report.
Saudi
Arabia had fought until the last minute in Korea to limit the
conclusions of the document. Eventually they gave in. But it now
seems that they have brought their objections to Poland.
The
dispute dragged on as huddles of negotiators met in corners of the
plenary session here, trying to agree a compromise wording.
None
was forthcoming.
With
no consensus, under UN rules the passage of text had to be dropped.
Many
countries expressed frustration and disappointment at the outcome.
"It's
not about one word or another, it is us being in a position to
welcome a report we commissioned in the first place," said
Ruenna Haynes from St Kitts and Nevis.
"If
there is anything ludicrous about the discussion it's that we can't
welcome the report," she said to spontaneous applause.
Scientists
and campaigners were also extremely disappointed by the outcome.
"We
are really angry and find it atrocious that some countries dismiss
the messages and the consequences that we are facing, by not
accepting what is unequivocal and not acting upon it," said
Yamide Dagnet from the World Resources Institute, and a former
climate negotiator for the UK.
Others
noted that Saudi Arabia and the US had supported the report when it
was launched in October. It appears that the Saudis and the US
baulked at the political implications of the UN body putting the IPCC
report at its heart.
"Climate
science is not a political football," said Camilla Born, from
climate think tank E3G.
"All
the worlds governments - Saudi included - agreed the 1.5C report and
we deserve the truth. Saudi can't argue with physics, the climate
will keep on changing."
Many
delegates are now hoping that ministers, who arrive on Monday, will
try and revive efforts to put this key report at the heart of the
conference.
"We
hope that the rest of the world will rally and we get a decisive
response to the report," said Yamide Dagnet.
"I
sincerely hope that all countries will fight that we don't leave
COP24 having missed a moment of history."
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