UN Climate talks begin in Lima ahead of Paris Summit

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Representatives from almost 200 nations have begun discussion for an attempted effort for a new global agreement in Lima, capital of Peru from today.

By 2015, the Paris climate meet will see a renovated and finalized pact by one hundred and ninety-five nations, who have already committed.

Delegates will try to finalize the prime negotiating points that will form the basis of the Paris deal.

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Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, has described the talks as a stepping stone towards a universal treaty.

Never before have the risks of climate change been so obvious and the impacts so visible. Never before have anybody seen such a desire at all levels of society to take climate action, she explained.

Never before has society had all the smart policy and technology resources to curb greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience, she, added.

Hundred of participants attend a candlelight vigil, a day before the inauguration of Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru, Sunday, June 30, 2014. Negotiators from more than 190 countries will meet in Lima for two weeks to work on drafts for a global climate deal that is supposed to be adopted next year in Paris
Hundred of participants attend a candlelight vigil, a day before the inauguration of Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru, Sunday, June 30, 2014. Negotiators from more than 190 countries will meet in Lima for two weeks to work on drafts for a global climate deal that is supposed to be adopted next year in Paris

In November, US and China have announced with the Chinese signaling that their emissions would peak around 2030.

The European Union also contributed to the positive mood by agreeing climate targets for 2030.

One major element of the puzzle that needs to be fixed in Peru is the scale of “intended nationally determined contributions” (INDC).

By the end of March next year, all countries have to announce the level of their efforts to cut carbon as part of the Paris deal.

However, there is no agreement on what should be included or excluded from these INDC statements.

As well as the INDC discussion, there will be debate on what needs to be included in the final text. Many countries, including the US, may be unable to enter a legally binding deal on emissions cuts.

There will also be pressure for countries to come up with significant contributions in the period up to 2020 when a new deal is likely to come into force.

Sabeena Wahid
[email protected]