The heat is on to seal a deal on the final day of the COP21 climate conference in Paris. After lots of talking in the French capital, a new draft
ADVERTISEMENTThe heat is on to seal a deal on the final day of the COP21 climate conference in Paris.
After lots of talking in the French capital, a new draft accord has been produced.
It seems governments have made progress on some issues, but there is still disagreement on others, including the monitoring of emission cuts.
“We want an agreement. We are close to the goal. We must then show responsibility in order to find, in the coming hours, a universal, common ground. In brief, it’s time to conclude,” said Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister.
The new draft suggests negotiators have settled on a long-term goal of keeping global warming “well below” a rise of two degrees Celsius – pursuing efforts to achieve a limit of 1.5.
“I think there is a strategy to oblige States to finally expose themselves,” said Alix Mazounie, from RAC France, which represents climate action organisations.
“If they want to be responsible for a failure in Paris, now they have to say it out loud. They are obliged to say ‘I refuse this paragraph.’
“And obviously refusing a certain paragraph should not be just words, there should be a real commitment. So it will force States to get to the heart of the negotiations.”
Speaking from the COP21 conference, Euronews reporter Grégoire Lory said: “For NGOs, this last draft agreement is almost too good to be true because it contains many key elements that have been demanded.
“But these organisations also recognise that key questions remain unanswered and political decisions ultimately lie with Heads of State.”