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Longest UN climate talks end with no deal on carbon markets Longest UN climate talks end with no deal on carbon markets
(about 3 hours later)
MADRID — Marathon international climate talks closed Sunday with negotiators postponing until next year a key decision on global carbon markets. MADRID — Marathon international climate talks ended Sunday with major polluters resisting calls to ramp up efforts to keep global warming at bay and negotiators postponing the regulation of global carbon markets until next year.
After two weeks of negotiations on tackling global warming, delegates from almost 200 nations passed declarations calling for greater ambition in cutting planet-heating greenhouse gases and in helping poor countries suffering the effects of climate change. But despite holding the longest climate talks ever in 25 nearly annual editions they left one of the thorniest issues for the next summit in Glasgow, in a year’s time. Those failures came even after organizers added two more days to the 12 days of scheduled talks in Madrid. In the end, delegates from almost 200 nations endorsed a declaration to help poor countries that are suffering the effects of climate change, although they didn’t allocate any new funds to do so.
Environmental groups and activists accused the world’s richer countries of showing little commitment to seriously tackling climate change. The final declaration called on the “urgent need” to cut planet-heating greenhouse gases in line with the goals of the landmark 2015 Paris climate change accord. That fell far short of promising to enhance countries’ pledges to cut planet-heating greenhouse gases next year, which developing countries and environmentalists had lobbied the delegates to achieve.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below: The Paris accord established the common goal of avoiding a temperature increase of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. So far, the world is on course for a 3- to 4-degree Celsius rise, with potentially dramatic consequences for many countries, including rising sea levels and fiercer storms.
Marathon climate talks edged to a close Sunday with delegates calling for greater ambition in cutting planet-heating greenhouse gases and in helping poor countries who are suffering the effects of climate change. Negotiators in Madrid left some of the thorniest issues for the next climate summit in Glasgow in a year, including the liability for damages caused by rising temperatures that developing countries were insisting on. That demand was resisted mainly by the United States.
But after two weeks of negotiations on tackling global warming, the future of global carbon markets remained a looming question. Strong, last-minute disagreements on the topic made it likely that decision would be postponed until next year. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “disappointed” by the meeting’s outcome.
This year’s meeting broke the record for longest climate talks ever in 25 nearly annual editions. After more than 40 hours of overtime, sleep-deprived delegates began holding a closing plenary Sunday morning in the Spanish capital of Madrid. “The international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition on mitigation, adaptation and finance to tackle the climate crisis,” he said. “We must not give up and I will not give up.”
Among the early documents to be passed was the “Chile-Madrid Time for Action” declaration calling on countries to improve their current pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is needed to come in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement target of avoiding a temperature increase of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. “It’s sad that we couldn’t reach a final agreement” on carbon markets, admitted the climate summit’s chair, Carolina Schmidt, Chile’s environment minister.
So far, the world is on course for a 3- to 4-degree Celsius rise, with potentially dramatic consequences for many countries. “We were on the verge,” she said, adding that the goal was to establish markets that are “robust and environmentally sustainable.”
Countries also agreed to designate funds for the most vulnerable countries to compensate them for the effects of extreme weather events, one of the most pressing issues for small island states and other developing nations. Economists say putting a price on emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, would allow countries or companies to trade emissions permits that can be steadily reduced — encouraging businesses to transition to low-emission technologies.
But environmental groups and activists accused the world’s richer countries of showing little commitment to seriously tackling climate change. The carbon-market failure did not upset everyone. Countries in Europe and elsewhere had said that no deal on how to govern the exchange of carbon credits was better than a weak one that could undermine a dozen or so existing regional carbon mechanisms.
“Thankfully, the weak rules on a market based mechanism, promoted by Brazil and Australia, that would have undermined efforts to reduce emissions has been shelved,” said Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, a campaign group.
Helen Mountford, from the environmental think-tank World Resources Institute, said that “given the high risks of loopholes discussed in Madrid, it was better to delay than accept rules that would have compromised the integrity of the Paris Agreement.”
The climate talks have been accompanied at times by protests from indigenous people and environmental groups that reflected the growing frustration, particularly among young people, at the slow pace of governments’ efforts to curb climate change.
“The Paris Agreement may have been the victim of a hit-and-run by a handful of powerful carbon economies, but they are on the wrong side of this struggle, the wrong side of history,” said Jennifer Morgan, Greenpeace International’s executive director.“The Paris Agreement may have been the victim of a hit-and-run by a handful of powerful carbon economies, but they are on the wrong side of this struggle, the wrong side of history,” said Jennifer Morgan, Greenpeace International’s executive director.
“Climate blockers like Brazil and Saudi Arabia, enabled by an irresponsibly weak Chilean leadership, peddled carbon deals and steamrolled scientists and civil society,” she said. “Climate blockers like Brazil and Saudi Arabia, enabled by an irresponsibly weak Chilean leadership, peddled carbon deals and steamrolled scientists and civil society,” Morgan added.
Chile chaired the talks, which had to be quickly moved to Madrid amid violent anti-government protests back home. Despite the pressure to deliver a positive outcome, activists criticized the Chilean government of President Santiago Piñera for holding on to coal-fired power plants until 2040. Chile chaired the talks, which had to be quickly moved to Madrid amid violent anti-government protests back home. But despite being under pressure to deliver a positive outcome, the Chilean government of President Sebastián Piñera supported holding onto coal-fired power plants until 2040.
Carbon markets, which economists consider key in providing incentives for the world to move toward-low carbon growth models, remained one of the thorniest issues, and one that was set to be left for next year’s discussions in Glasgow. Meanwhile, countries agreed to designate funds for the most vulnerable countries to compensate them for the effects of extreme weather, one of the most pressing issues for small island states, despite the U.S. resistance to the liability issue. Still the delegates didn’t clarify how to mobilize a $100 billion per year in climate financing by 2020, as it had been agreed to in Paris.
Setting a price on emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, the markets allow countries or companies to trade emissions permits that can be steadily reduced — encouraging the uptake of low-emission technologies. The European Union and Canada have been one of the few large emitters to show ambition by adopting plans to become carbon neutral by mid-century, but activists said that their leadership failed to resonate among others.
Europe and other countries had said that no deal on how to govern the exchange of carbon credits was better than one that could undermine a dozen or so existing regional mechanisms. About 80 countries, less than half of those taking part in the talks and accounting altogether only for about one-tenth of global emissions, have expressed intentions to upgrade their pledges next year for net zero emissions targets by 2050.
The talks have been accompanied at times by angry protests from indigenous and environmental groups, both inside and outside the venue. The demonstrations reflected growing frustration, particularly among young people, at the slow pace of government efforts to curb climate change. Nearly 400 cities, over 780 businesses and 16 investors with over $4 trillion in assets have also committed to similar goals.
Helen Mountford from World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank, said the talks “reflect how disconnected country leaders are from the urgency of the science and the demands of their citizens in the streets.” Still, observers said big emissions emitters like China, the United States and India need to stop shirking their responsibilities.
“Regressive governments put profit over the planetary crisis and the future of generations to come,” the conservation group WWF said in a statement.
Mountford said the talks this year “reflect how disconnected country leaders are from the urgency of the science and the demands of their citizens in the streets.”
“They need to wake up in 2020,” she added.“They need to wake up in 2020,” she added.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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