14 dages klimaforhandlinger er slut: De store spørgsmål udskudt til Bangkok

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Thomas Jazrawi

Herken spørgsmålet om klimastøtte til udviklingslande eller en skrappere indsats fra nationerne blev endegyldigt løst ved klimaforhandlingerne i Bonn, der sluttede fredag.

Diskussionen fortsætter i Bangkok efter sommer, inden nationerne mødes i Polen ved det store klimatopmøde COP24 i december.

Her er en række kommentarer fra centrale aktører ved forhandlingerne: 

Mr. Gebru Jember Endalew, præsident for gruppen af de mindst udviklede lande (LDC-gruppen): 

“The Group hoped that the negotiations would advance further at this meeting, and we are disappointed that many vital topics are still at conceptual stages. The Group is concerned by the lack of urgency we are seeing to move the negotiations forward. It is time to look at the bigger picture, see the severe impacts that climate change is having across the world, and rise to the challenge.”

“Finance is key to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. In the face of climate change, poor and vulnerable countries are forced to address loss and damage and adapt to a changing climate, all while striving to lift their people out of poverty without repeating the mistakes of an economy built on fossil fuels. This is not possible without predictable and sustainable support.”

“Countries have failed to deliver on pre-2020 commitments and global temperatures are dangerously close to 1.5 degrees. Countries need to shoulder their fair share of the effort to increase ambition and support in line with their responsibilities for this climate crisis and their capabilities to respond.”

Mattias Söderberg, klimarådgiver ved Folkekirkens Nødhjælp: 

“Det store klimaskænderi er udskudt. Det betyder dog ikke at det bliver nemmere at løse. Der er brug for politisk vilje og engagement hvis landene skal blive enige”.

 “Hvis der ikke findes regler for klimafinansieringen, bliver de flotte mål om støtte til ulandene, fulde af hul. Der er enighed om at de rige lande skal give ulandene 100 milliarder USD per år fra 2020. Ulandene forventede at disse penge vil komme som en ekstra hjælp, da klimaforandringerne skaber nye og alt større udfordringer i takt med at den globale temperatur stiger. Men da der ikke er regler for støtte, inkluderer rige lande mange forskellige former for penge, blandt andet lån, som skal betales tilbage med rente, og eksisterende udviklingsbistand som ulandene alligevel skulle få”.

“Lån kan være godt på mange måder, men med alt for store lån risikerer renter og afdrag også at blive til et trussel for ulandenes økonomi. Mange forhandlere er derfor bekymrede for at et voksende behov for klimaprojekter, vil lede til en voksende gæld”.

“I en dialog skal der gerne være flere parter, og man behøver ikke nødvendigvis være enig om alt. Ved dialogen i Bonn blev der dog mest en række præsentationer, uden en diskussion om hvordan ambitionen kan øges. Det er ikke godt nok. Alle ved at der er brug for mere handling, og for at udslip af drivhusgasser skal bringes ned. I en dialog må man også have mulighed for at stille kritiske spørgsmål, og argumentere hvis man ikke er enig. Det manglende jeg!”

“De rige lande mistede en god mulighed for forbedre dialogen med ulandene. Alle lande er udfordrede af klimaforandringerne, og selv i Danmark er der mennesker der får problem på grundt af oversvømmelser og orkaner. Men i dialogen om “tab og skader” valgte man alligevel at holde lav profil, og ikke deltage aktivt. Fra et ulandsperspektiv bliver det til en provokation, da “tab og skader” for mange ulande handler om overlevelse, risici for konflikter og migration. Det havde været så nemt for de rige lande at anerkende udfordringerne, og for at dele nogle af sine erfaringer, men man valgte at være tyste”.

Sven Harmeling, Global Lead on Climate Change Advocacy, CARE International Climate Change & Resilience Platform:

“Despite some technical progress in Bonn, climate change impacts will not wait for slow-paced government negotiations. Without stronger political leadership, it will be an uphill battle to achieve the major milestones envisaged for COP24 in Katowice, Poland, particularly on the Paris Rulebook. The heat is on for developed countries to increase finance for vulnerable people in developing countries to minimize and address loss and damage. Countries with high CO2 emissions need to undertake additional measures to reverse continued emissions’ growth and limit climate disruption to 1.5°C.  It is essential that climate ambition not fall behind commitments made in the Paris Agreement.

Harjeet Singh, Global Climate Lead, ActionAid International: 

“The issue of finance underpins so many different parts of climate negotiations, because poor countries simply can’t cover the triple costs of loss and damage, adaptation and mitigation on their own.
“But with developed countries refusing to move on finance, lots of pieces are still unfinished. This is holding up the whole package, which is supposed to be finalised at the end of this year. Issues are piling up, and it’s a dangerous strategy to leave everything to the last minute.
“Finance is too important to be used as a bargaining chip. If we’re to see any progress on the so-called ‘Paris rulebook’, wealthy countries need to provide real money for climate action.”

 Mark Lutes, Head of Delegation, WWF:

“We have seen steady, if uneven, progress in the negotiations. Pieces are falling in place for the full implementation of the Paris Agreement. This is evident both with the rules, and closing the emissions gap. But finance is key to getting a good outcome in Katowice. Meeting the $100 billion commitment and getting a signal by COP24 for the upcoming Green Climate Fund funding round will be vital if countries are to collective agree to present more ambitious climate plans by 2020.”