Climate change deal delayed, expected to be signed today

The closure of the Paris climate summit or COP21 was yesterday postponed until Saturday after French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said there was still more work to be done before reaching an agreement. The summit was to close but after the second draft was read, more comments continued to come in. The aim of the agreement is to curb global warming but would come into force in 2020. The first version that had come out on Wednesday evening drew a lot of complaints from civil society. Contention was on financing mechanism for poor countries to tackle climate change and how countries carbon emissions are tracked. Consultations also revealed that several developing countries, including China and India, raised their concerns over the dilution of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in the draft agreement. Civil societies, scientists react Civil society groups and scientists have insisted on efforts that could be scaled up to limit global warming under 1.5 degrees. The Paris deal is expected to replace the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s only legally binding international climate treaty. Commenting on the draft on Friday, a panel of scientists said the vision is zero carbon emissions but limiting warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees must be consistent with operationalisation. The draft text also lacks gender-sensitive approach as well as strong phasing out of fossil fuels, according to African civil society PACJA’s analysis. Rwanda’s push Rwanda on Wednesday called for increased investment in technology and scientific knowledge to slow climate change and help nations adapt to a warming planet. Delivering the government statement, the Minister for Natural Resources, Dr Vincent Biruta, observed that the world has overcome other serious challenges by applying technology and scientific knowledge. “Slowing climate change and adapting to it should be no different,” Biruta said. Minister Biruta also highlighted the need for countries to shift to renewable energy in order to achieve prosperity and ensure environmental sustainability. “Climate action is not about sacrificing growth, but rather making sure that development gains can be sustained for generations to come,” Biruta said, adding, “Climate action will succeed when countries no longer face trade-offs between attaining prosperity and going green.” During the course of the negotiations for an international deal on climate change, Rwanda joined with other vulnerable nations in calling for a binding agreement that includes the goal of limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius. With a variable climate and mountainous terrain, Rwanda is at risk of increased weather extremes such as floods and droughts. Therefore, Rwanda will continue to place the environment at the heart of its development as it addresses the impacts of climate change and builds a green economy, the government statement said. The Kyoto Protocol covered only developed countries, such as those in the European Union and Australia, which were required to cut emissions by 2020. Now more than 170 countries have submitted their climate pledges, a well as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), to the UN on how to combat climate change. Rwanda has committed to addressing climate change and building an economy that is sustainable by placing the environment at the heart of policy making through the country’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy as well as the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy, officials say. The country established a national fund for the environment and climate change that finances climate resilience projects and leverages private sector investments. The work of the fund, arguably the largest of its kind in Africa, was presented at climate forums in Paris to share experiences and attract additional financing needed for local action.

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Climate change deal delayed, expected to be signed today