World ministers in final push for deal at UN climate talks in Paris

Ministers from countries around the world will arrive in Paris today for the final week of UN climate talks which have so far produced a draft text and a greater sense of optimism than previous meetings.

Negotiators from 195 countries produced a draft of the climate deal, which aims to curb temperature rises and avoid climate change, over the weekend, although much needs to be agreed by ministers in the high-level talks that begin on Monday.

However, the feeling is that the talks are in a much better place than during the last, failed, attempt to secure a global climate deal, at a UN summit in Copenhagen six years ago.

Key issues that need to be thrashed out include a long-term goal for reducing the emissions that cause dangerous climate change by the second half of the century and the provision of finance for poor countries to cope with global warming.

And the issue of a review and ratchet mechanism, which would see countries revisit pledges they have already made to cut their greenhouse gases up to 2030, and potentially improve on them, also needs to be decided. It is argued that such a mechanism is needed, as climate action already promised by countries will not be enough to get the world on the path to curbing temperature rises.

Concerns over changes to the latest draft of the text have led to the inclusion of a notes section at the end with details that could be inserted, while hundreds of square brackets — denoting areas of disagreement — remain. However, the text is now slightly shorter, and the version that goes before ministers includes “bridging proposals” or potential compromises for areas of the deal.

Tasneem Essop, head of WWF’s delegation to the UN climate talks in Paris, said it would be “quite a sprint” for ministers to secure a strong deal by Friday, and it was up to France, as hosts, to take the talks to the finish line.

“The draft negotiating text, while more clear in terms of options, still reflects most of the divergences amongst countries,” said Ms Essop. “This will require immense skill on the part of the French presidency and absolute co-operation between governments to mediate these differences.

“We’re hoping that in the rush to the end, ministers do not trade ambition for expediency, and remain true to the science.”

The Pope, who issued a Papal Encyclical in the summer on the issue of the environment and climate change, has prayed for the success of the climate talks.

According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis said: “For the sake of the common home we share and for future generations, every effort should be made, in Paris to mitigate the impact of climate change and, at the same time, to tackle poverty and to let human dignity flourish.”

Meanwhile, US actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday met with China’s chief climate negotiator at the climate talks in Paris.

Mr Schwarzenegger said the US and others need to work together with China to fight climate change.

He said the whole world is letting China produce their products and therefore sending the pollution to China, adding “it’s not them versus us, it’s more like how do we do this together”.

He also called on parties at the talks to be more “collaborative” and go beyond “political beliefs, ideology.”