Warsaw: Nations must act on global warming, say top climate diplomats

Warsaw: With the UN Climate Conference entering a crucial phase, top environment diplomats have warned that global warming represents a potentially irreversible threat and sought urgent international action against climate change in the short term. Co-chairs of various subjects on climate change asked all signatories of the Kyoto Protocol to ratify and implement the Doha Amendment urgently. [caption id=“attachment_1238139” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Young girls protest in front of the Polish Ministry of Economy in Warsaw. AP[/caption] In a draft decision, they said that global warming is unequivocal, as indicated by the findings of Working Group 1 to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shows unprecedented changes since 1950s. “Enhanced action and international cooperation on adaptation is urgently required to enable and support the implementation of adaptation actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and building resilience in developing country Parties, taking into account the urgent and immediate needs of those developing countries that are particularly vulnerable,” the draft decision said. They affirmed that to achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention will require enhanced action and support to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Last year’s Doha climate conference had laid the basis for more ambitious international action against climate change in the short term. According to it, a new global climate treaty should be finalised in 2015. It also adopted a ratifiable amendment setting out the rules governing the second period which will run for eight years, beginning January 1, 2013. The second period will ensure no gap occurs between its end and the entry into force of the new global agreement in 2020. The draft decision came as developing countries like India and China expressed their displeasure with developed countries like Japan for abandoning the greenhouse gas emission targets set by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Japan recently announced that it will let emissions rise 3 percent above 1990 levels by 2020. In its draft decision, the co-chairs have also asked the developed nations to provide new and additional, predictable and adequate funding to developing countries. The developed countries have committed to a goal of mobilising $100 billion per year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. The co-chairs also urged to intensify high-level engagement to build momentum for a strong political signal. Their call came as the week-long official-level talks failed to clinch an understanding on the issue. Now all hopes are now pinned on the ministerial level discussions kick-started in Warsaw, the Polish capital. Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan is expected to arrive this evening to attend the ministerial level talks. PTI