UN Climate talks in Geneva have ended with an agreement on a formal draft negotiating text for the summit in Paris in December.
The Geneva talks which built on the negotiations in Peru last year, saw the draft document grow from a 38-page document into an 86-page document representing the views of 195 countries. At this stage, the document includes varied views, leaving none of the delegates underestimating the task left ahead of them as they reconvene for further talks in June.
The delegates acknowledged that in June they would need to make real progress on resolving some of the key outstanding issues such as financing the Paris agreement and the level of support for the poorer countries.
The UN is targeting to limit the increase of the average global surface temperature to no more than 2˚C compared with pre-industrial levels, but with the World Meteorological Organisation confirming that 2014 had been the hottest year on record, scientists warn that the Earth is on target for double that.
In a post Geneva statement, the UK’s three major parties have pledged to work together to address climate change, whatever the result of the forthcoming election.
Julia Evans Chief Executive of BSRIA welcomed the progression made but recognised that there was still a difficult road to negotiate before a binding agreement was signed in Paris. She said: “The fact that 195 countries have found consensus with the draft document is positive, but the next round of discussions in June will be key to delivering a binding agreement in Paris.”
Julia added: “We will look at the talks in June with interest and hope that they result in a document which will allow the Paris Summit to deliver a new global climate document. Global warming is a real problem, as an industry we have the skills, technology and the desire to make a difference, we now need governments to set the direction. We see the joint statement by the leaders of the three major parties as an excellent step to providing the confidence within the UK market and to ensuring that the UK can play a full role in delivering a good outcome in Paris.”
BSRIA is a non-profit distributing, member-based association, providing specialist services in construction and building services. More information at www.bsria.co.uk