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PARIS: Fifty-five nations including the world's top carbon polluters have registered their commitments to combat global warming, providing a much-needed boost to December's Copenhagen Accord, but still don't know where the funds will come from.
The pledges from both industrialised and developing countries for cutting greenhouse gases up to 2020 cover nearly 80% of total emissions.
"This represents an important invigoration of the U.N. climate change talks," said Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"The commitment to confront climate change at the highest level is beyond doubt," he said.
30 billion fund for poorer nations
But more than a month after the nearly scuttled climate deal, rich nations have yet to say when and how they will deliver emergency funds to help poor ones begin to green their economies and cope with climate impacts.
The 30 billion dollars in so-called ‘fast start’ financing is meant to cover the period 2010 to 2012.
Also missing for now is the list of countries that have chosen to ‘associate’ themselves with the controversial Copenhagen Accord, which fell well short of the binding and comprehensive climate treaty once hoped for.
The U.N. climate forum shepherding the talks simply "took note" of its provisions after several countries refused to back it in December.
The UNFCCC's 194 member nations were later invited to endorse the deal by Sunday, January 31, and to list the actions they plan for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.
Rich nations renew pledges
It is still not known how many countries have opted to formally back the accord. On the action plans, there were no surprises. The U.S., the European Union, Japan and other rich nations all renewed pledges made in the run-up to the climate summit.
Australia submitted its existing 2020 target range for reducing emissions to the Copenhagen Accord last week.
“Consistent with our commitment to do no more and no less than the rest of the world, we are today submitting our existing target range: 5% unconditional, with up to 15% and 25% both conditional on the extent of action by others, as set out in May last year,” said Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Water Penny Wong.
Rapidly developing countries led by China, India, Brazil and South Africa also reiterated voluntary national plans for curbing the carbon intensity of their economies.
May God Help Us!
That's just we need:
Centralized global governance, run by unelected and unaccountable Euro-bureaucrats to solve a "problem" based on politicized and faulty "science".
If this actually goes through, we deserve the oppression we get!