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| EU climate chief hails global progress on emissions | EU climate chief hails global progress on emissions |
| (30 days later) | |
| Europe's climate change chief says he is astonished at the positive progress by governments towards a global deal on CO2. | Europe's climate change chief says he is astonished at the positive progress by governments towards a global deal on CO2. |
| Miguel Arias Cañete said it was "quite astounding" that 149 nations have published their plans to curb carbon emissions. | Miguel Arias Cañete said it was "quite astounding" that 149 nations have published their plans to curb carbon emissions. |
| He told BBC News that even six months ago he would not have believed such commitments would emerge. | He told BBC News that even six months ago he would not have believed such commitments would emerge. |
| Nations have been announcing plans ahead of the Paris climate summit. | Nations have been announcing plans ahead of the Paris climate summit. |
| He warned, though, that nations' pledges had not yet reached the level needed to prevent potentially dangerous warming. | He warned, though, that nations' pledges had not yet reached the level needed to prevent potentially dangerous warming. |
| Mr Cañete said: "There are many, many reasons to be cheerful. The fact that 149 countries to date have presented the United Nations their commitments to fight global warming is astonishing. | Mr Cañete said: "There are many, many reasons to be cheerful. The fact that 149 countries to date have presented the United Nations their commitments to fight global warming is astonishing. |
| "We have countries which together produce nearly 90% of global emissions - so that's a big effort. If we compare it with the Kyoto Protocol - the first time we tried an international agreement to help global warming - there were only 35 countries and they covered less than 14% of emissions. | "We have countries which together produce nearly 90% of global emissions - so that's a big effort. If we compare it with the Kyoto Protocol - the first time we tried an international agreement to help global warming - there were only 35 countries and they covered less than 14% of emissions. |
| "It's quite astounding. The most important things is that the commitments are not only figures or targets - it shows countries are developing climate policies in a very comprehensive way." | "It's quite astounding. The most important things is that the commitments are not only figures or targets - it shows countries are developing climate policies in a very comprehensive way." |
| Top-down target | Top-down target |
| Mr Cañete said the key was that instead of a UN conference imposing top-down targets, governments were volunteering their own action plans. | Mr Cañete said the key was that instead of a UN conference imposing top-down targets, governments were volunteering their own action plans. |
| "There is no complacency - but we if we had kept on going with business as usual (ever-rising carbon emissions), global temperature would have raised between 3.8 and 4.7C," he said. | "There is no complacency - but we if we had kept on going with business as usual (ever-rising carbon emissions), global temperature would have raised between 3.8 and 4.7C," he said. |
| "We estimate that current commitments achieve about 3C maximum. That's a big step, although clearly it's not enough." | "We estimate that current commitments achieve about 3C maximum. That's a big step, although clearly it's not enough." |
| The generally agreed maximum "safe" temperature rise is 2C - although some vulnerable nations say this is not safe for them. | The generally agreed maximum "safe" temperature rise is 2C - although some vulnerable nations say this is not safe for them. |
| Professor Jacquie McGlade, chief scientist of the UN environment programme (UNEP) told BBC News: "I am very surprised in a positive way - the normal procedure for these events has been governments brought kicking and struggling to the table. | Professor Jacquie McGlade, chief scientist of the UN environment programme (UNEP) told BBC News: "I am very surprised in a positive way - the normal procedure for these events has been governments brought kicking and struggling to the table. |
| "Now I see member states, citizens are willingly pledging for transformational change in society. It's a participatory progress so you do feel it will stick when we leave Paris (the climate conference next month)," she said. | "Now I see member states, citizens are willingly pledging for transformational change in society. It's a participatory progress so you do feel it will stick when we leave Paris (the climate conference next month)," she said. |
| "When countries saw the big players - the EU, the USA - put their figures on the table, there's a bit of copycat - which is a good thing. | "When countries saw the big players - the EU, the USA - put their figures on the table, there's a bit of copycat - which is a good thing. |
| "Some countries sent in their commitments and having seen other countries, they took them away and came back with more ambition. That tells you this is going to be a race to the top, not the bottom." Gabon was one example, she said. | "Some countries sent in their commitments and having seen other countries, they took them away and came back with more ambition. That tells you this is going to be a race to the top, not the bottom." Gabon was one example, she said. |
| Prof McGlade, based in Nairobi, said Africa was suffering the consequences of climate change already and was determined to tackle the problem itself. | Prof McGlade, based in Nairobi, said Africa was suffering the consequences of climate change already and was determined to tackle the problem itself. |
| "There is a sense that this is a universal problem - the 'them and us' is beginning to disappear," she told BBC News. | "There is a sense that this is a universal problem - the 'them and us' is beginning to disappear," she told BBC News. |
| "Africa is becoming more and more conscious that it has to be a leader (on energy) if it wants to attract investment. You see Africa approaching this with an appetite, then you see a country like the UK not being pro-active in a way we would have recognised before." | "Africa is becoming more and more conscious that it has to be a leader (on energy) if it wants to attract investment. You see Africa approaching this with an appetite, then you see a country like the UK not being pro-active in a way we would have recognised before." |
| Charles Sena Ayenu, a solar entrepreneur in Ghana taking part in the Rabat meeting, said: "There's still work to be done, but I see a lot of optimism, a lot of excitement and passion - not just from governments but from the private sector like us." | |
| The positive comments are predicated on the expectation that nations will actually carry out their promises. They contradict the conclusions of a new report from the former UK chief energy scientist David Mackay, which asserts that the UN talks are doomed to fail because nations will do as little as possible. | The positive comments are predicated on the expectation that nations will actually carry out their promises. They contradict the conclusions of a new report from the former UK chief energy scientist David Mackay, which asserts that the UN talks are doomed to fail because nations will do as little as possible. |
| Mr Cañete stressed that the current wave of commitments should be a starting point, not a finishing point. The EU wants the Paris conference to agree the need for a regular review of climate targets. | Mr Cañete stressed that the current wave of commitments should be a starting point, not a finishing point. The EU wants the Paris conference to agree the need for a regular review of climate targets. |
| Follow Roger on Twitter. | Follow Roger on Twitter. |