The objective of the text is to demonstrate that international cooperation on climate must continue to advance, despite a very difficult geopolitical context
Four days before the end of , the Brazilian presidency of the summit published this Tuesday (18) a first draft of a compromise between the countries, still divided on several crucial issues such as climate ambition, finance and trade. “This text reflects the confidence of the Brazilian presidency” in reaching an agreement, he reacted to AFP Li Shuo, an expert at the Asia Society who follows the negotiations in . “It is probably the first time in the recent history of the COPs that such a clean text has been published so early”, he stated about the document with the title “Global Mutirão”.
The objective of the text is to demonstrate that, even in a very difficult geopolitical context, international cooperation on climate must continue to advance. It still contains many alternatives, so it will need to be considerably edited before reaching an agreement among the almost 200 nations present at the climate conference that ends on Friday (21).
The presidency announced on Monday (17) that negotiators will work day and night so that an agreement on the most thorny issues can be adopted in a plenary session “by mid-week”. The nine-page document begins by reaffirming its commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement and its adherence to “multilateralism”.
Regarding climate ambition, it proposes that the report summarizing countries’ commitments could be published annually, instead of every five years. Several topics mention the transition away from fossil fuels, a point of confrontation between producing countries and those who want a guideline to abandon them. These items propose different solutions, from a “round table” to… nothing.
On the other hand, it is suggested to triple financing from rich countries for the poorest to adapt to climate change by 2030 or 2035, a demand from Southern nations.
The last point addressed is that of “unilateral” trade measures, such as the European CBAM – an acronym in English for Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – criticized by countries such as China. On this delicate topic, four options are presented, from establishing a “platform” for reflection to organizing a summit under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.
*With information from AFP
Published by Nícolas Robert
