(This article was originally published here)
‘The last pillar is the Lima-Paris agenda, also called the agenda of solutions’
The Conference of Parties, the COP, is the United Nations framework for Climate negotiations. In December 2015, Paris will host the next COP: COP21. COP21 is not “one more COP,” because humanity is at a turning point regarding climate risk. In Paris, France wants to create a Paris Alliance for Climate, lying on four main pillars:
The first one is the universal and legally binding agreement. This agreement will have to consider equally mitigation and adaptation, which is a priority for Bangladesh and all the countries already facing the impacts of a changing climate. This agreement will symbolise the willingness of our global worldwide society to commit itself to building a new global economic model in order to maintain greenhouse gas emissions below 2°C, and even below 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era, if we want to preserve a sustainable world for future generations. This means a global and worldwide transition towards low-carbon economies. The agreement will open the door to a long-term process of cooperation. COP21 must not be the end of a process; it must be the beginning for a new world and a new worldwide consciousness.
The second pillar is the National Contributions, the so-called INDC. INDC have to be published before Paris Conference, to be integrated there. INDC present the national commitments on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and they can include adaptation plans. INDC are the way to assess our global effort in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Forty-four countries have already published their INDC and we are confident that Bangladesh will comply with its commitment to publish them by October.
The third pillar is financing. The international community has committed itself to mobilising $100bn per year, by 2020 to address climate issues. Through the Green Climate fund and many other channels, this effort is necessary, in order to redirect public and private flows towards low-carbon economies. Creating a new model means first of all working within a new framework. This new framework means mobilising both our existing and new resources through redirecting them in favour of the creation of this new model. The fact is that we can’t create a new model using the old traditional channels of action. Private sector commitment is fundamental, because the private sector is the main actor for the production of value and new technologies.
The last pillar is the Lima-Paris agenda, also called the agenda of solutions. The goal is to involve all the actors and to create a collective effort in order to change our global society. In Paris, NGO’s, the private sector and other actors will be able to showcase their positive solutions to address climate change.
The whole of France is working to make COP21 a success. 50,000 participants are expected in France for COP21. This is our challenge and we are ready to take it up, with the help of all of you, and on behalf of future generations.
Written by: HE Sophie Aubert, Ambassador of France to Bangladesh
