This is a joint editorial I signed with my French counterpart in Canada Nicolas Chapuis to mark EU Climate Diplomacy Day. If you have comments use #ClimateDiploDay on twitter or contact me @HDrakeUK.
Right across the globe, diplomats, citizens, scientists, artists and policy-makers are gathering and speaking with unanimity: climate change is a real challenge that transcends borders and requires unprecedented international cooperation. With the Paris climate conference fast approaching, 2015 is a decisive year for climate negotiations. Today, EU Climate Diplomacy Day, is an important reminder that we are already halfway through 2015 and that action is needed now as emissions continue to rise.
The economic and security risks of global warming are significant. We have already begun to experience their direct impacts from increasingly frequent and severe flooding, to rises in heat waves and storms, to loss of trade and earnings. All have the potential to have a profound impact on our way of life. But there are also economic advantages to confronting the problem sooner rather than later, including new business opportunities, high value jobs and research and development.
Thankfully progress is being made as more and more countries, Canada included, are coming forward with Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Both the United Kingdom and France have already taken ambitious action to become global leaders on climate and the EU was one of the first to release its INDC, with the goal of achieving at least 40% domestic greenhouse gas emissions reductions on 1990 levels by 2030.
The G7 climate statement last week provided additional momentum on the road to Paris, representing a strong statement of intent by G7 countries to continue to pursue ambitious action on climate change. It included language on adopting an ambitious, robust, and inclusive climate deal in Paris; the need for decarbonisation of the global economy over the course of this century; and countries’ commitment to mobilizing $100-billion of climate finance a year from public and private sources by 2020.
With just 5 months to go until the conference, we believe that we are on the right track but we have still some way to go. If we work together, we can deliver an ambitious international agreement so that we can all look forward to a greener, safer and more prosperous future.