The EU returns from COP27 (almost) empty-handed
European negotiators say they are disappointed by COP27, where little progress has been tied to promised aid to the most vulnerable countries. Without further details…
By Emmanuel Berretta
© MOHAMED ABDEL HAMID / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP
has been published
LThe European delegation looks gloomy. The protracted COP27 talks in Egypt have spawned a mouse after more than two weeks of palaver: the adopted text on aid to poor countries affected by global warming promises a fund for “loss and damage”, but neither the amount nor the terms were set before COP28. for a year, in dubai…
There is no new ambition compared to the COP in Glasgow. “COP27 kept the 1.5°C target alive,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Unfortunately, it has failed to meet the commitments of the world’s major emitters to phase out fossil fuels or their new commitments to reduce climate change. »
Timmermans: “One step forward is too short”
“What is happening here is a very short step for the inhabitants of the planet,” lamented Frans Timmermans, the vice-president of the European Commission responsible for the green pact. It doesn’t show enough extra effort by major issuers. In 2021, the rankings are almost unchanged: China ranks first with 9.9 billion tons of CO22, ahead of the USA (4.5 billion), India (2.3 billion), Russia (1.5 billion), Japan (1 billion). The leading country in Europe is Germany (604 million), which is in 7th place.e according to the world ranking BP World Energy Statistical Review.
READ ALSOCOP27: 150 countries pledge against methane emissions
It was Europe that provided the COP27 “harm and loss” fund bounce, thus avoiding a complete fiasco. On Sunday evening, Emmanuel Macron took the opportunity to propose a summit in Paris in 2023 to concretize a “new financial pact with the most vulnerable countries”. But isn’t that unnecessary in the next COP?The EU has struggled to maintain its ambition
“Europe had to fight to the end to keep the ambition of last year. The head of the delegation, deputy ecologist Bas Eykhout regrets that this is not enough if we want to achieve our climate goals. Peter Liese, Vice President of the European delegation, said: “I am disappointed that we are so far from reaching the Paris climate target, but I remain optimistic because despite all the concerns, the multilateral process has stood firm. There is progress, and there is hope that it will continue. »
The “Loss and Damage” fund is claimed by smaller islands, which will be particularly affected by rising waters. Therefore, rich countries have undertaken to help them. How much? How? Then we will see.
Bilateral meeting between the US and China
Peter Liese believes he is witnessing a “renewal” of cooperation between the US and China. “After our conversation with the Chinese negotiator Xie Zhenhua, I saw that he had a bilateral meeting with John Kerry, which is a good sign,” he said, further criticizing the European Commission, which he said did not allocate enough resources to the issue. “a more in-depth presentation of initiatives going in the right direction”. He points out that Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, responsible for the Green Deal, “doesn’t have time”. “We need a European John Kerry [le négociateur américain, NDLR] Peter Liese says.
The European Union, for its part, has set a course for a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, with an interim target of -55% greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 (compared to 1990 levels). To be honest, this interim goal is difficult to achieve, as it takes time for the voluminous legislation required in the adoption phase to emerge… The EU climate package was presented on 14 July 2021. It includes 13 legislative proposals. The European Parliament and the Council are in the process of finalizing the adoption negotiations.
