Despite Trump’s Threats, Morocco Climate Conference Pulls Through

The Marrakesh climate summit underscored the urgent need for action from developed countries to curb emissions.

Participants at the COP22 climate conference stage a public show of support for climate negotiations and Paris agreement. (Photo: AP/David Keyton)

Nearly 200 countries, including India, today adopted a work plan for the implementation of Paris climate agreement by 2018 during a key UN summit here overshadowed by Donald Trump's threats to withdraw the US from the historic pact.

After two weeks of negotiations, the Marrakesh climate change summit also underscored the urgent need for early action on part of developed countries to make emission cuts in accordance to their commitments in the Kyoto protocol which still has four years to go before its expiry in 2020.

With discussions centred mainly on procedural issues, the Marrakesh meeting went into over time last night with many countries including India raising some concerns over a few draft proposals.

Oxfam activists stage a protest wearing masks of world leaders outside the venue of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Le Bourget, near Paris, France, December 10, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

The decision sets up the stage for an early implementation of the Paris agreement which was negotiated as a successor regime to the Kyoto protocol for the post 2020 period.

Paris agreement finalised in December last year entered into force in less than a year.

The conference which was dominated by reports that US under its President-elect Trump threat to pull out from the pact, conference president Salaheddine Mezouar brought down the gavel, passing a document in which parties agree to meet again in 2017 to "review progress".

The conference saw a political call being given yesterday asking countries to combat climate change as a matter of "urgent priority" while noting that climate is warming at an "alarming and unprecedented" rate.

Meanwhile governments set a rapid deadline of 2018 to complete the rule book for operationalising the Paris Agreement to ensure confidence, cooperation and its success over the years and decades to come.

UNFCCC

A member of security forces stands guard outside the COP22 village, in Marrakech, Morocco. (Photo: AP/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

Mezoua said the Kingdom of Morocco is fully engaged in the success of this COP and will energetically carry out its role as President.

At the outcome of the last fifteen days, our vision has been consolidated and we are working to make concrete progress and to carry out breakthrough actions from now until the end of 2017, he said.

It will be necessary to respect the commitment of USD 100 billion dollars from now until 2020. Faced with the magnitude of what is required for dealing with the impacts of climate change, turning billions into trillions is indispensable. 2017 must be the year of large scale projects, of mobilising finance and accessing financial facilities that will be necessary for adaptation.

Salaheddine Mezouar, Climate Conference President