The President of COP22 and Morocco’s Foreign Affairs minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, has said there will be no backtracking on the gains made in the fight against global warming. Mezouar, whose country is hosting the climate change summit in Marrakech, was responding to questions from reporters, yesterday, on remarks by US President-Elect Donald Trump about his preparedness to pull out of the Paris Agreement. At the Paris climate conference (COP21) in December last year, 197 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal. The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. “We are moving ahead. Even if one party decides to withdraw it will not affect our progress,” Mezouar said. In April, Rwanda joined other 108 countries to ratify the protocol out of 197 parties to the convention. UNFCCC executive secretary Patricia Espinosa underscored that there is need to be patient and wait for her office to assess the situation when the new US government comes into office in January . “We are looking forward to a strong and constructive relationship with President-Elect Donald Trump to advance with this agenda for the benefit of all,” said Espinosa The agreement requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. This includes requirements that all parties report regularly on their emissions and on their implementation efforts. “What is clear now is that there is enthusiasm and willingness to implement the agreement and many are in the process of ratifying. Our role is to have all parties gather with stakeholders to make sure we produce results,” Espinosa added. Under the agreement, rich countries have pledged at least 100 billion dollars a year starting 2020. Some nations have also submitted, in the annex to the treaty, voluntary pledges to cut down greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
