Clap for climate scientists in Katowice

protested While thousands of environmental activists at the climate change conference in the Polish industrial city of Katowice against climate change, gave it to the climate conference, a sensitive defeat for the IPCC. The conference could not decide whether they salute the world's much-acclaimed special report of the IPCC on global warming in the final document of the conference "" or just a "note". A large number of delegates felt that the manipulation of words as "ridiculous".

The climate researchers had published the report in October, and new data shows that it can already occur in a global warming of 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times, the world ecologically irreversible damage. The Paris climate agreement specifies it as a target of a maximum warming of 2 degrees, 1.5 degrees should be aimed for. It is the "coalition of the Ambitious", including the EU, the USA and Switzerland, had set this ambitious target in Paris in 2015.

Now, the USA bucks, along with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Russia, the IPCC report to recognise to take a maximum of knowledge. The American delegate emphasized in the negotiations, to accept the Report, hot, him to accept. The business has now been postponed for further negotiations.

The large discrepancy

Even if the fighting to the IPCC at the conference is a marginal phenomenon, it shows in the first hearing week, however, since the beginning of the first climate negotiations, the apparent discrepancy between policy and its implementation. This includes, for example, that the Contracting States need to increase after 2020 at regular intervals, their ambitions to reduce greenhouse gases.

Germany, a supposed pioneer in climate Arzbet protection, has now admitted that it will not meet the climate commitment by 2020. In spite of the large Expansion of Wind and solar power, the emissions have remained at a coal-generated electricity. Switzerland will reach its commitment by 2020, but only thanks to delicate investment abroad.

another example is the financing of climate protection in developing countries. From 2020, the industrial Nations should generate $ 100 billion a year. Germany announced last week to double the contribution to the Green Climate Fund, which manages a large part of the climate billion, to $ 1.5 billion. The world Bank has pledged $ 200 billion to developing countries in the fight against climate change.

Open issues

Nevertheless, the developing countries are in Katowice skeptical whether you can benefit in the future from the promised billion. So far, there are no rules, what is counted as climate Finance. It is not only investments, but also the support of industrial countries for the introduction of environmental laws could fall under this. So there is no consensus whether these funds must be "new and additional". Switzerland was criticized by environmental organizations last week, violently, because they claimed, in contrast to many other EU member States to the public, this was not enshrined in the Paris agreement. Environmental and development organizations worry that without this provision, funds for development aid for climate projects to be migrated.

the Ministers arriving today and the end of the week the rule book has a paper to decide that, in many crucial points, not finished yet has been negotiated. The Paris agreement requires all Contracting States to make a contribution to climate protection – however, depending on the economic and social conditions. "To make it right is a difficult task," stated the Head of the UN climate change Secretariat, Patricia Espinosa.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 09.12.2018, 15:56 PM