The ‘stars are aligning’ ahead of ‘most important environmental summit in history’, says UN climate change chief

| July 22, 2015 | Leave a Comment

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Date of Publication: July 17, 2015

Year of Publication: 2015

Publication City: London, UK

Publisher: Independent Print Limited

Author(s): Tom Bawden

Newspaper: The Independent

Will global leaders step up in December or continue to drag their feet? United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres shares her perspective on the critical commitements needed in December, and the likelihood of achieving them.

Christiana Figueres says she is confident that December’s UN summit in Paris – regarded as the most important so far – will deliver its ambitious target to agree on action drastic enough to limit global warming to 2C. Beyond this level, the consequences of climate change become increasingly devastating.

“The stars are aligning towards a Paris agreement that will establish a pathway that keeps us within the limit of 2C,” Ms Figueres said.

 

The chief executive of Friends of the Earth, Craig Bennett, was less confident that the world can limit global warming to 2C. “We are gravely concerned that the level of action being promised will breach two degrees – let alone the safer 1.5C. The planet and climate don’t negotiate. A deal at any cost – that has neither urgency or ambition – will be viewed as a failure,” he said.

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