United Nations Climate Meeting

November 2013

United Nations Climate Meeting 

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/world/deals-at-climate-meeting-advance-global-effort.html?ref=earth

     The Warsaw Climate Change Conference meetings in Poland ended November 23 with "a pair of last-minute deals" sustaining hope that a global effort can hold off a harmful rise in temperatures. This meeting's actions drove the talks about the possible United Nations 2015 conference in Paris to replace the moribund Kyoto Protocol.

     The 19th annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change started "in the shadow" of the giant Philippine typhoon. More than 10,000 people listened in on the talks, including national delegations, journalists, advocates and, for the first time, business leaders.

     At the meeting, delegates settled on the expansive outlines of "a proposed system for pledging emissions cuts" and extended their support for a novel treaty device to embark upon the "human cost of rising seas, floods, stronger storms and other expected effects of global warming."
     The death and devastation brought by the Philippine storm emphasized the question of “climate justice.” The final agreement was held up by a dispute over a proposal by developing nations for the creation of a “loss and damage mechanism” under the treaty. The United States, the European Union and other developed nations opposed, fearing new financial claims. However, Peace was restored when the parties overcame their differences, agreeing with the United States to hold the new device under an already existing part of the treaty dealing with adapting to climate change, but saying they would evaluate its status in 2016.
    In conclusion, treaty members remain far from any serious, concentrated action to cut emissions. In addition, developing nations complained that promises of financial help have still not been met.