Lima: are we still on track for a new climate regime?

For just over two weeks, the sunny Peruvian capital welcomed thousands of delegates from over 190 countries with a challenging objective: to prepare the way for the new climate agreement to be reached in Paris next year. I was lucky enough to join these negotiations once more, as part of the UK delegation.

Next year’s global agreement will replace the current climate regime, coming into force after 2020. As overwhelming as the UNFCCC process is, however, the negotiations seemed to have benefited from the positive momentum triggered by the UN Secretary General’s Summit on Catalysing Climate Action held in New York this September. Several announcements made on both mitigation and finance commitments have been instrumental to sustaining such positive momentum. These include the EU 2030 package to reduce at least 40% by 2030, and the UK’s £720million pledge to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), as well as those from several other countries. It is encouraging to see several countries committed to unlocking the negotiations and trying to make sure we keep moving forward. Brazil was a clear example of such engagement, having put forward proposals to facilitate the discussions.

But the negotiations need to continue apace, whilst maintaining focus on the efforts required to stay within 2 degrees. With an active role from the Peruvian Presidency, COP-20 delivered the “Lima Call for Climate Action” which provides a draft negotiating text for the new agreement while also setting out a process for countries’ contributions to the new agreement when they come forward in 2015, and a synthesis report which will assess the aggregate ambition ahead of Paris in the context of the 2 degree goal. There has yet been agreement towards reducing emissions pre-2020, including a focus on implementing the initiatives kicked off by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

The road to Paris will be a long one if we are to meet the 2 degree target, but this has been a significant achievement from the parties overall. The UK Head of Delegation and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey said: “The talks were tough but the Lima Call for Climate Action shows a will and commitment to respond to the public demand to tackle climate change.” He added: “This is an agreement that unites all nations, unlocking the door to the world’s first global climate deal in Paris next year.”