At this year’s climate summit (COP29), the countries of the world will discuss money for the first time since 2009. Green transition costs money, and poor countries need help to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. Climate finance is therefore in focus, and agreement on money is the goal. Cardinal Pietro Paroli from the Vatican pointed out that the world is facing an “ecological debt”, especially between rich and poor countries, which is due to the misuse of resources. He emphasized the need for a new, fair international financial system to achieve the climate goals. According to Inga Fritzen Buan, senior advisor at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there is still a long way to go before agreement on the funding target, both in size and who will contribute. Inga Fritzen Buan, senior adviser at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), here at her 17th climate summit. Photo: Eivind Molde / news At the same time, she emphasizes that the climate crisis is becoming increasingly serious, and points to the flood in Spain as an example. She points out that the negotiations between the countries will be difficult, and that even the poorest countries disagree. Global emissions have increased by 8 percent since the Paris Agreement in 2015, despite warnings from scientists. This year, emissions are expected to increase by a further 0.8 per cent. Albania: – A picture of the world – I have decided to put away the speech I have prepared. This is how the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, began his speech on the climate summit’s third day. – While I have been here, I have been in the leader’s lounge together with those who lead and organize this. People eat, drink and greet and take pictures of each other. At the same time, images of silent speakers are played on the TV screens in the background. Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, during his speech at the climate summit. Photo: Murad Sezer / Reuters Rama believes the situation in the back rooms paints a frighteningly similar picture of what is happening in the world. – Speeches full of big words and promises to fight the climate crisis change nothing. People just continue as before, said the Prime Minister. He continued his criticism and said, clearly frustrated, that the world’s countries lack the will to actually green transition. – What on earth are we doing? We meet again and again, but there is no political will to implement real changes, he asked. Several countries set ambitious targets The climate summit has also been characterized by several countries setting ambitious climate targets. The UK has raised its target to cut emissions by 81 per cent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This surpasses their previous target of 78 percent cuts, and follows recommendations from a British climate committee. Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed pride in the UK’s efforts as a climate leader with this new target. “I am delighted to announce that the UK is building on its reputation as a climate leader, with the country’s 2035 NDC target of reducing all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81 per cent compared to 1990 levels,” he said. Brazil, which is South America’s largest country and among the world’s largest emitting nations, has also increased its ambitions. The country now aims to reduce emissions by 59-67 percent by 2035, compared to 2005 levels. They will also work towards climate neutrality by 2050. Aerial photo of a dried-up lake in the Amazon, northern Brazil, on October 1, 2024. Several tributaries to the Amazon River, which is one of the world’s longest and most water-rich rivers, is in a “critical situation” due to of the drought that has hit Brazil, the authorities announced on 30 September. Photo: MICHAEL DANTAS / AFP The host nation of Azerbaijan, for its part, has announced that it will update its climate targets to support global efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Already this summer, Elnur Soltanov, director of COP29 and Azerbaijan’s deputy energy minister, confirmed that they would announce at least parts of their new emission targets ahead of the climate summit. He also called on other nations to do the same. Azerbaijan previously had targets to cut emissions by 35 percent by 2030 and 40 percent by 2050, also measured from 1990 levels. Critical for several island nations While new climate targets are being set, many island nations are already experiencing the serious consequences of climate change. The Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, criticized the international community for treating climate disasters as isolated events. – We have to look beyond borders and flags. The fires that consume their forests and the hurricanes that destroy our homes are not distant events but shared tragedies. Davis pointed out that the world is interconnected and warned that future generations will bear the consequences if we do not act now. – What we experience, you also experience. What we lose, you lose too. Without action, our children and grandchildren will bear the burden, and their dreams will be reduced to memories of what could have been. The same applies to the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. – Climate change affects the world unevenly and makes us vulnerable. We can no longer wait for empty promises, said Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of the country. Gaston Browne (left) during a panel debate during this year’s climate summit. Photo: Maxim Shemetov / Reuters He says they are dependent on financial support from other countries, to be able to face climate change and continue the work they do to preserve their own natural areas. – Rich countries that pollute a lot try to disclaim responsibility, instead of committing to – and implementing – change. That includes climate finance, says the prime minister. – And if we are to achieve climate justice, the money must be fairly distributed, available to those who need it and without demands for repayment. The big picture: What if we fail to meet the 1.5 degree target? In recent years, global temperatures have approached the limit of 1.5 degrees of warming dangerously fast. Although few now believe that we can meet the ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, all hope is not lost. Swipe on to understand what the rise in temperature means, and what we can do about it. Javier Ernesto Auris Chavez / news 1.5 degrees That temperatures in the world are rising by 1.5 degrees from pre-industrial times may sound small. But the world is already seeing consequences such as more frequent and more powerful extreme weather, and glaciers that melt and will contribute to increased sea level rise. Here in Norway, the Norwegian Climate Services Center notices an increase in torrential rain. In 2023, the temperature was 1.45 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times. Two degrees For every degree the temperature rises, the consequences get worse. If the temperature rises by two degrees from pre-industrial times, the research says, among other things, that almost all shallow-water tropical coral reefs will disappear. Extreme heat, which previously only happened once a decade, can be expected approximately every two years. Two degrees of warming also threatens food security in parts of the world. The UN climate panel says the Arctic can experience one ice-free summer every decade with this warming Three degrees If the world manages to implement the climate cuts they have promised, we will avoid experiencing a global warming of three degrees. According to UNEP, the measures are enough to stop warming at 2.6 degrees. Three degrees of warming is a dramatic scenario where many people experience deadly heat waves every year. There are an estimated 96,000 heat-related deaths in Europe alone. The chance that we will reach so-called tipping points with major, irreversible changes in the climate system is also significantly greater. Truls Alnes Antonsen / © Is it just to give up, then? Fewer and fewer people think we can manage to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. That does not mean that there is no point in doing anything. For every decimal degree of warming the world manages to avoid, the consequences will be made one notch less serious. The world’s leaders have promised to introduce major climate cuts. Even with current policies, the world will continue to warm. But the more we manage to do, the less the consequences will be. The leader of the Pacific islands of Tonga and Tuvalu said they face an existential threat from climate change. – The tropical cyclones that hit the island are increasing both in intensity and frequency, said Prime Minister Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni. The same applies to Tuvalu, which three years ago got ready for a future underwater: Published 13/11/2024, at 08.55 Updated 13.11.2024, at 16.38
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Albania with harsh criticism during the climate summit – news – Climate
