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Paris climate deal
Topic Started: 14 Feb 2015, 12:20 AM (1,059 Views)
skibboy
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13 February 2015

UN agrees draft text for Paris climate summit

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Work is continuing on text aimed at a new climate change agreement by the end of the year

UN climate talks in Geneva have ended with agreement on a formal draft negotiating text for the summit in Paris in December.

The document, which runs to 86 pages, builds on negotiations in Peru last year.

The Swiss meeting set out to create a draft for consideration at the Paris talks.

The aim is to have a new global climate agreement in place by the end of 2015.

The latest climate talks, which started on Sunday, focussed on finalising a draft negotiating text for the Paris summit.

The six-day conference in the Swiss city was the first formal gathering since the Lima climate summit in December.

"I am extremely encouraged by the constructive spirit and the speed at which negotiators have worked during the past week," said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"We now have a formal negotiating text, which contains the views and concerns of all countries. The Lima Draft has now been transformed into the negotiating text and enjoys the full ownership of all countries," she added.

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Analysis: Helen Briggs, BBC environment correspondent

The draft text was agreed before the end of the session, in a mood described as "the spirit of Lima".

But rather than being slimmed down, the document has more than doubled in size, to contain everything to be discussed in the run-up to Paris.

Delegates acknowledge that the hard work is still ahead, with the real conflicts to come when negotiators seek to "streamline" the text and narrow down the options for limiting a damaging rise in temperatures.

The key political test is the period from March to June, when individual countries announce their plans to reduce emissions.

At the next climate talks in June, real progress will have to be made to resolve issues such as financing the Paris agreement and ensuring that poorer countries get the support they need to adapt to impacts such as flooding.

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Three special sessions have been added to this year's schedule of climate meetings.

They include talks about "intended nationally determined contributions", the commitments to reduce emissions that are meant to pave the way towards a low-carbon future.

National plans

Governments are expected to submit their national plans by an informal deadline of the period from March to June.

China, the United States and the European Union have already given an indication of their plans.

The UN seeks to limit the increase of the average global surface temperature to no more than 2C (3.6F) compared with pre-industrial levels, to avoid "dangerous" climate change.

But scientists warn the Earth is on track for double that target.

The World Meteorological Organization confirmed this month that 2014 had been the hottest year on record, part of a continuing trend.

Fourteen out of the 15 hottest years have been this century.

The UNFCCC, based in Bonn, Germany, has 196 parties - including virtually all of the world's nations - and grew from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for cutting greenhouse gases.

The next meeting will be held in Bonn in June.

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17 November 2015

Don't forget public health at Paris Climate talks: WHO

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© AFP/File | This picture taken on November 8, 2015 shows a residential block covered in smog in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin province

GENEVA (AFP) - The upcoming climate summit in Paris could produce the most important agreement of the century for public health matters, the UN said Tuesday.

The World Health Organization estimates that climate change is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths globally per year through various factors including shifts in disease patterns and deteriorating air quality.

Last year, the UN agency published a report indicating that some seven million people die annually from air pollution-related diseases, but that health considerations "are still not given sufficient attention in debates about climate change."

Maria Neira, director of public health at WHO, said that an ambitious agreement would save lives and ease health budgets worldwide.

"The treaty, if it's a good one, will probably be the most important public health treaty of this century," she said.

The November 20-December 11 talks in the French capital aim to produce a worldwide pact on keeping global warming from climbing past two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels.

Among the initiatives the WHO said deserve serious consideration, is a plan for raising the cost of fossil fuels to offset their negative health impacts.

Such a "tax" could possibly reduce air pollution deaths by half, reduce carbon dioxide emissions while raising some $3 trillion in new revenue, WHO said.

Citing an example of how rising global temperatures have already sparked public health problems, WHO's climate change team leader Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum pointed to malaria, which he said has begun to appear with increased frequency in areas with previously negligible prevalence.

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18 November 2015

Britain expects 'imperfect' deal at Paris climate talks

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© AFP | An employee applies a COP21 climate-summit sticker on an electric Renault/Nissan Leaf car on November 16, 2015, as France readies for the global conference

LONDON (AFP) - Britain expects an imperfect deal to be reached at an upcoming climate summit in Paris aimed at curtailing global warming, an official said on Tuesday.

"There is clear political momentum behind an agreement," David King, the British foreign minister's special representative for climate change, said at a news conference in London.

"We're very unlikely to see a breakdown in the negotiations... While we are likely to get a deal, it is not going to be a perfect deal."

King welcomed voluntary commitments to curb climate change submitted by 163 countries, which represent those responsible for over 90 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

"That in itself is a statement of intent around Paris, that we are likely to get a global agreement," he added.

Nevertheless any deal will have to be "reviewable" ideally every five years, King said.

He added that Britain wanted a legally binding agreement to emerge from the summit.

The UN Conference of Parties (COP21) summit is to be held in Le Bourget, north of Paris, from November 30 to December 11, and is tasked with producing a deal committing all the world's nations to action starting in 2020.

About 160 countries have already filed voluntary carbon-curbing pledges to underpin the future pact, but scientists say the aggregate effect falls far short of what is necessary.

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18 November 2015

Citing security fears, France bans Paris climate rallies

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© AFP/File | A sticker which translates as "Paris 2015 Conference of the United Nations on Climate Change COP21-CMP11", on November 16, 2015 in Boulogne-Billancourt

PARIS (AFP) - The French government Wednesday banned two citizens' rallies organised to coincide with a crunch climate conference to be held in Paris just two weeks after terror attacks killed 129 people in the French capital.

Rallies to beat the drum for concerted political action against global warming had been planned for November 29, the day before the summit will be opened by some 120 heads of state and government, and December 12, the day after it closes.

"The situation created by the odious attacks of November 13, and the investigations under way since then, require that security conditions be reinforced," a government statement said.

"To avoid any additional risk, the government has decided not to authorise climate marches in public places in Paris and in other French cities on November 29 and December 12."

Other climate gatherings in spaces that are "enclosed and easily secured" will go ahead, it added.

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19 November 2015

NGO says Brazil cut C02 emissions, cites slowing deforestation

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© AFP/File | Greenpeace activists deliver a petition with 1.4 million signatures in favour of zero deforestation throughout Brazil, at the National Congress in Brasilia on October 7, 2015

SAO PAULO (AFP) - Brazil cut carbon emissions slightly last year, thanks mainly to a drop in deforestation which offset rises from the farming, energy and industrial sectors, said a report released Thursday.

Last year the South American behemoth and world's seventh largest economy generated 1.56 billion tons of greenhouse gases, which was 0.9 percent less than in 2013, said the NGO Climate Observatory.

Still, that was the second highest level of the past six years.

Changes in the use of land, including the felling and burning of forests, came with increased activity in other polluting sectors, such as energy.

Trees are good for fighting climate change because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

In those other sectors emissions rose six percent year on year even in Brazil's moribund economy, the report said.

Greenhouse gases from the energy sector come from higher consumption of gasoline and diesel fuel in transport and greater electricity generation.

Emissions from electricity generation alone rose 23 percent in 2014.

And in the past three years they have almost tripled, the report said.

Looking ahead to the big global climate conference starting late this month in Paris, Brazil has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent by 2025, using 2005 as the baseline, and by 43 percent by 2030.

Some environmentalists have called those goals achievable but not very ambitious.

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20 November 2015

Despite attacks, world leaders ready to talk climate in Paris: UN envoy

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© Pool/AFP | French President Francois Hollande gestures as he addresses a press conference on climate change with French farmers at the Elysee Palace in Paris on November 20, 2015

UNITED NATIONS (UNITED STATES) (AFP) - The Paris attacks are affecting preparations for the climate change conference in the French capital, but leaders are still focussed on clinching a deal, a UN envoy said Friday.

"World leaders, one after the other, are reconfirming that they are going to Paris because they think this is an important event," said Janos Pasztor, the UN Assistant Secretary-General on climate change.

US President Barack Obama, China's Xi Jingping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the 138 leaders who will attend the climate summit in Paris starting November 30.

Security has been beefed up following the terrorist attacks on November 13 that left 130 dead and hundreds wounded, and a major march has been cancelled.

"The attacks in Paris are affecting the preparations and activities planned for COP21," Pasztor told a news conference.

The UN official downplayed suggestions that leaders may switch the conversation from combating catastrophic global warming to battling terrorism during their Paris meetings.

"It's inevitable that when leaders meet, they talk about all the issues that are important," he said.

But he added that they are "putting their travel plans where their mouths are", meaning that their presence in Paris should be seen as proof of how seriously they take the climate issue.

The summit will open in Paris just two weeks after coordinated attacks on a concert hall, football stadium, bars and restaurants that were claimed by the Islamic State group.

While a major march planned for November 29 has been scrapped, there will be more than 2,000 rallies in cities worldwide to press demands for action from the leaders in Paris, said the envoy.

The goal of the climate talks is to strike a deal to limit average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

"The climate change conference in Paris is not the end point," said Pasztor.

"It must mark the floor, not the ceiling of our ambition. It must be the turning point toward a low-emission climate-resilient future."

The envoy said he was optimistic that a deal could be reached, but cautioned that a great deal of work lay ahead to reach a "universal, meaningful agreement."

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Obama: COP21 will show world 'not afraid' of extremists

2015-11-22

US President Barack Obama said Sunday he would go ahead with a visit to Paris for a pivotal UN summit on climate change despite the recent attacks in the French capital, urging other leaders to do the same to show "we are not afraid" of extremists.

"I think it's absolutely vital for every country, every leader, to send a signal that the viciousness of a handful of killers does not stop the world from doing vital business," Obama said following an Asia-Pacific summit in Malaysia.

In addition to hunting down terrorists, missile strikes, curbing jihadist financing and other steps, "the most powerful tool we have to fight ISIL is to say that we're not afraid", he said, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State (IS) group.

Over the past week Obama and other Asia-Pacific leaders have held successive summits in Turkey, the Philippines and Malaysia that have been overshadowed by the recent string of deadly extremist attacks.

The carnage in Paris, Lebanon and Mali has sparked calls by assembled leaders for a concerted international effort to stamp out the Islamic State and other jihad groups.

Obama is among world leaders due in Paris for the COP21 talks beginning November 30 and intended to reach a global climate change accord.

"We do not succumb to fear. That's the primary power that these terrorists have over us," he said.

France has decided to go ahead with hosting the talks despite the raised security threat following the November 13 attacks in Paris that saw 130 people killed in a wave of shootings and suicide bombings claimed by the IS group.

However, it has banned two demonstrations that had been planned by climate activists to coincide with the start and end of the talks.

Obama: US ‘will not relent’ in fight against IS group

In the wake of the Paris attacks, France has stepped up an air bombing campaign against IS group targets in Syria and urged greater international cooperation between the various nations also waging military campaigns against the Islamist group, which include the US and Russia.

Obama vowed Sunday that the United States and its international partners "will not relent" in the fight against the IS group, insisting the world would not accept the extremists' attacks on civilians in Paris and elsewhere as the "new normal”.

He also pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to align himself with the US-led coalition, noting that the IS group has claimed responsibility for bringing down a Russian passenger jet last month, killing 224 people.

"He needs to go after the people who killed Russia's citizens," Obama said of Putin.

Like France, Russia has stepped up its air campaign in Syria, but Obama said Moscow has focused its attention on moderate rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad, a Russian ally.

He called on Russia to make a "strategic adjustment" and drop its support for Assad, insisting the violence in Syria cannot be stopped as long as Assad is in office.

"It will not work to keep him in power," Obama said. "We can't stop the fighting."

French President François Hollande is due to meet with Obama at the White House on Tuesday to discuss ways to bolster the international coalition fighting the IS group.

Hollande then heads to Russia for talks with Putin.

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23 November 2015

Brazil can help lead world to climate deal, France says

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© AFP | French Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius, photographed in Brazil November 22, 2015, says his nation is counting on Brazil to help clinch a deal on greenhouse-gas curbs at an upcoming climate summit in Paris

BRASÍLIA (AFP) - France is counting on Brazil to convince world leaders to strike a deal to limit annual temperature rise at an upcoming Paris summit, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday.

With one week to go to a crucial global warming summit, 170 countries have submitted pledges for greenhouse gas (GHG) curbs meant to underpin a 195-nation climate rescue pact.

Those countries account for about 93 percent of the world population and are responsible for roughly the same proportion of emissions blamed for driving dangerous levels of climate change.

The voluntary pledges, dubbed Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDCs, are the chosen means for staying under the UN-agreed global warming ceiling of two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

Fabius met Sunday in Brasilia with President Dilma Rousseff, his counterpart Mauro Vieira and Brazil's Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira on a three-day world tour.

Earlier, he stopped in India, the fourth largest emitter of GHGs, and in G77 leader South Africa.

The emerging nations are crucial to getting a deal done.

"Brazil has made very ambitious and exemplary commitments, and that lends to its credibility as a historic partner in the negotiations on climate (change) since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro," Fabius said.

"I am really counting on Brazil's drive to succeed in this area -- and on its strong reputation (on climate change) -- to help convince others. That was really the main reason for my visit."

Brazil has pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 37 percent by 2025, and 43 percent by 2030, compared to its 2005 levels.

Other large developing countries in many cases so far have only pledged to keep GHG emissions from increasing.

Brazil also has committed to eliminating illegal logging in the Amazon basin region -- one of the world's critical huge green areas.

Some non governmental groups say the pledge is not realistic due to lax rules and enforcement.

With the summit fast approaching from November 30-December 11, Fabius said "it must be a success."

"There is no Plan B, because there is no Planet B," Fabius stressed.

With time was running out to put a dent in damage done, "Paris must be a turning point," he stressed.

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COP 21: Philippines wrestles with climate dilemma

David Shukman
Science editor

7 hours ago

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The Philippines is regarded as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change

A developing country dubbed one of the most vulnerable to climate change has confirmed controversial plans for more coal-fired power stations.

The president of the Philippines has told the BBC the new coal plants are needed to meet demands for energy.

This comes despite environmental groups and some leading Filipino politicians arguing that coal is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.

Coal emits more greenhouse gas than any other fossil fuel.

And climate scientists have long concluded that burning more coal will undermine efforts to limit the rise in temperatures.

But many developing countries, facing rapid increases in population and surging economic growth, see coal as a relatively cheap option, which is why the Philippines is planning a total of 23 new coal plants.

China, India and other fast-growing Asian economies also have plans for hundreds of new coal power stations.

The dilemma of how developing countries should generate electricity - and whether they should follow the path of the nations which industrialised first and became rich using coal - will loom large at the UN summit on climate change in Paris starting next week.

For the Philippines, coal currently generates about 42% of the country's electricity, with the rest coming from locally-sourced natural gas and renewables, but coal's share could potentially rise to about 70% in a few decades, according to some projections.

Speaking to the BBC, President Benigno Aquino said that reducing the use of coal in favour of gas, a popular choice for many, was not an option because of a lack of gas-importing facilities.

And he said that while the Philippines had increased the share of renewables, costs had limited their appeal until recently.

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Innovative modes of transport may be needed as the impacts of climate change bite

With solar, he said, "the price was considered too high so that it would bring up all of the electricity rates which would make us not competitive and will hamper the growth."

His concern is that higher power prices would "raise a hue and cry from our people about very high electricity rates which are at points in time the highest in the region".

The costs of solar had now fallen, Mr Aquino said, but that still left the problem of the intermittent nature of renewables, which he then chose to spell out.

"For instance, if we go to wind, are the wind turbines really working or not? Solar will get affected by cloudy conditions like this."

He was speaking under the dark clouds of Typhoon Koppu, known as Lando in the Philippines, which struck last month killing dozens of people and causing widespread flooding.

The president added: "Wave action is not yet developed sufficiently to be viable for the product mix.

"So what we're trying to do is ensure that we have the most modern coal plants that are in existence."

The push for more coal, in the face of strenuous objections, has dismayed many leading figures who say that there are many less-polluting alternatives.

Senator Loren Legarda, who chairs the country's Senate Finance Committee and has pushed through new legislation on climate change and energy, told me that "doing coal is a crime".

"It's a crime against humanity, it's just bad. It pollutes the already vulnerable environment, and coal kills - it kills our air, it kills our biodiversity.

"Coal is never an option, coal is not cheap. We must put in the negative effect of the health of the people, the negative effect on biodiversity, the bad effect on the environment , the bad effect on business."

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Senator Legarda says the global trend is to move away from coal, but does not advocate closing existing plants

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Senator Legarda does not advocate closing down existing coal-burning power stations but says the global trend is to move away from coal and that her country should be part of that movement, particularly since its 98 million people are particularly vulnerable to a potential scenario of higher temperatures and more violent typhoons.

"Europe is downscaling on coal, many countries are downscaling on coal so why are we approving coal? It does not make sense. We are victims of climate change and we want to exacerbate it? We want to worsen the situation by doing more coal? It does not make sense."

Meanwhile, amid the debate over energy in the Philippines, there are efforts to help people cope with the kind of future disasters that may become more intense with climate change.

The charity Save the Children is providing advice to schools on how to teach children to be more aware of the possible dangers.

At the school in the village of San Augustin, in the flood-prone province of Bulacan on the central island of Luzon, pupils are given regular training drills in how to stay safe in situations such as flash floods.

According to one of the charity's organisers, Lourdes Pambid: "People are really getting to see the effects of these changes in the climate and they're also paying attention to these things."

She said the worry was that the next generation would grow up into a very different world.

"For children, it's losing their homes and even the type of their livelihoods.

"In Bulacan, it used to be a farming area and then the floods came in and some have shifted to fish farming but then conditions became worse and they had to give that up, they had to leave fishing.

"It could get worse if nobody does anything to address this situation so that's why the kids, the local government units, the government officials should be doing something about it."

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COP21: Malawi's battle to hold on to forests

By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

24 November 2015

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Rachel can now do her homework thanks to the lamp

You’d be pushed to find a more uplifting display of the transformative power of renewable energy.

In a one-room house in rural Malawi, the little face of six-year-old Rachel is framed in a soft white halo.

On a bamboo mat lies a maths book alongside a bundle of fine twigs that she shuffles to help her arithmetic.

The rest of the village is in total darkness but thanks to the lamp - bought with the help of UK government aid - Rachel’s school grades are improving now she can study at home.

In a nearby village, solar panels on a school roof - donated by the Scottish government - have improved results, as well as providing an extra income source from charging phones and car batteries.

“Please thank people in Scotland,” the head teacher asks me. “Thanks to the solar panel we even had one pupil go to national school.”

But these are rare examples of electricity in rural Malawi. This is one of the world’s poorest countries.

Just 10% of people are on the grid.

And around 90% of power is produced by hydro-electric stations, which are beset by erratic rains caused - Malawian meteorologists say - by climate change.

Malawi’s own greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are minuscule.

But the nation has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world as people desperate for fuelwood hack into the once-rich forests.

Deforestation reduces the ability of forests to soak up CO2.

It also loosens soil, which then releases carbon dioxide.

What’s more, in heavy rains, the loosened soil cascades down the hills.

This means aquifers don’t get replenished, rivers burst their banks, and silt and branches clog up the hydropower plants.

Escom, the body that owns the hydro dams, says reservoir capacity has been reduced by two thirds as a result of siltation from forest felling.

There are constant black-outs for the few people and businesses who have grid electricity at all.

So what’s Malawi’s answer to its climate and energy crisis? Well, it is bidding to build two coal-fired power stations.

Its politicians realise these will swell the global emissions which are already cranking up temperatures, but they say Malawi needs the power for development.

Its emissions up to 2040 are projected to increase by 38%.

Coal, they say, is the least bad option because it offers the opportunity for the country to address deforestation.

Malawi, like most other nations has submitted its pledge on energy and climate (known as an INDC) to the United Nations.

It has offered to reforest its hills, expand the use of clean cookstoves and get more solar energy – conditional on help from rich nations as part of the Paris deal.

But no-one should underestimate the scale of Malawi’s challenge. The water catchment above the capital Lilongwe is under such severe assault from wood-cutters that the Army is on stand-by.

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Just 10% of people are on the grid in Malawi

The authorities accept that they can’t punish the poor charcoal sellers but their efforts to catch the masterminds of the trade are said to have been bedevilled by corruption.

Part of Malawi’s solution is to have two million efficient cookstoves in operation by 2020. The population is booming and this won’t fulfil national demand.

But each stove, made at low cost of clay by local women, is said to use less than half as much wood as a traditional three-stone open fire.

Another gizmo on trial – a thermoelectric generator developed with Irish aid - can be bolted on to a cookstove to create electricity for charging phones and LED lights.

The current is created by the differential in temperature between two metal parts.

This invention will only make a small dent in Malawi's energy needs, though.

Lord Stern’s team of international experts on climate economics have concluded that climate change can’t be tackled in countries like Malawi where the population is still 80% rural and where people degrade the land to meet their needs.

The only solution, the team says, is for developing countries to plan densely-packed cities with excellent public transport, powered by renewables – Malawi has an excellent solar resource.

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Experts in Malawi say the government, undermined by corruption scandals, is in no state to fulfill that mission.

And the same shortcomings are disbarring the country from attracting large-scale investments in renewables.

Paddy Padmanathan, a businessman installing solar thermal power on an epic scale in North Africa, told us Malawi’s development was not sufficiently advanced for that sort of project.

“It's the institutional capacity in many of these countries. There are not enough people who can manage these things in the government structures, who know how to put in place the right policies and procedures and procurement programmes," he said.

Meanwhile despite the campaign against coal by environmentalists in the West, the pressure to burn coal in Malawi is growing.

We visited the Kukoma cooking oil factory which burns huge quantities of wood for its boilers.

The owner Mohamed Ameen Nathanie is considering whether to install coal-fired boilers for a more consistent burn.

He asks me: “Do you want me to burn the wood from the countryside – or the coal… you choose!”

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COP21: 2015 likely to be warmest on record, says UN weather body

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News

25 November 2015

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The map shows how far this year's temperatures have deviated from the 1961-1990 average

Global average temperatures in 2015 are likely to be the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

Data until the end of October showed this year's temperatures running "well above" any previous 12 month period.

The researchers say the five year period from 2011 to 2015 was also the warmest on record.

The rise, they state, was due to a combination of a strong El Nino and human-induced global warming.

The WMO said their preliminary estimate, based on data from January to October, showed that the global average surface temperature for 2015 was 0.73 degrees C above the 1961-1990 average.

Their scientists also found that global temperatures were approximately 1 degree C above the 1880-1899 period, mirroring a recent finding by the UK Met Office.

'Bad news'

The record-breaking five year period from 2011 to 2015 was 0.57C above the average for 1961-1990.

The WMO said that levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached new highs.

In the northern hemisphere, the spring of 2015 saw the three-month global average concentration of CO2 cross the 400 parts per million barrier for the first time.

"The state of the global climate in 2015 will make history for a number of reasons," said WMO secretary-general Michel Jarraud.

"2015 is likely to be the hottest year on record, with ocean surface temperatures at the highest level since measurements began. It is probable that the 1C threshold will be crossed.

"This is all bad news for the planet."

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The graph shows the divergence of annual temperatures from the 1961-1990 average

Other researchers agreed that the latest data from the WMO reinforces the view that human emissions of carbon dioxide, from burning fossil fuels, are continuing to heat the Earth beyond natural
variability.

"The fingerprint of a warming planet is becoming clearer in nearly every corner of the world," said Dr Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist at the University of Reading.

"Moreover, 2015 is not a one-off, as indicated by the last five years' average also being the warmest on record.

"In the UK, our variable weather means that 2015 will not set any records for warmth, but the longer view shows UK temperatures have risen about 20% faster than the global average. We can expect this faster rate to continue in future."

As well as warming the land, much of the heat has gone into the oceans.

The WMO said the waters have been absorbing more than 90% of the energy that has accumulated in the climate system from human emissions of greenhouse gases.

The temperature of the tropical Pacific was more than 1C above average, consistent with a strong El Nino.

The WMO said this weather phenomenon has been a factor in pushing this year past previous records.

El Nino has gained in strength over the past few months and has been rated as one of the three strongest since 1950.

The researchers said that the impact of an El Nino is typically felt more strongly in the second calendar year, meaning that 2016 is likely to be more strongly influenced by the event than 2015.

The record temperatures of 2015 were being felt in many different parts of the world.

China recorded its warmest ever January to October period.

For Africa, this year has been the second warmest on record.

Heat waves affected many parts of the world, with India seeing average maximum temperatures over 45C in some areas.

There were also extremely hot periods in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere.

The WMO also argued that many of the extreme weather events in the past five years, especially those relating to higher temperatures, have had their probabilities substantially increased as a result of human-induced climate change.

The new findings are likely to feature prominently at COP21 in Paris next week, when global political leaders and negotiators will aim to secure a new global deal that would limit emissions of carbon dioxide.

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Organisers hope Paris attacks don't overshadow COP21 climate summit

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© Alain Jocard, AFP | French military stand guard outside the venue that will host the COP21 UN climate conference

Text by Joseph BAMAT
2015-11-26

One of France’s leading environmental activists expressed hope that the recent terrorist attacks would urge world leaders to "reinforce their focus on the planet" and strike an international deal on climate change.

Nicolas Hulot, who as President François Hollande’s special envoy for the environment has played a key role in organizing the COP21 conference, said Wednesday there was a “risk” that the terror attacks claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group could once again relegate climate change “to the back burner”.

He nevertheless expressed hope that the tragedy would inspire world leaders who are gathering in Paris on November 30 to “reinforce their focus on the planet” and take a collective stand.

“[COP21] is not just a conference about climate change, it’s also a peace summit”, Hulot said in a meeting with the Anglo-American Press Association. “Climate change has dangerous consequences, in particular with the massive displacement of populations and the increasing wealth inequality across the world”.

Hulot said world leaders would have a unique opportunity while in Paris to start reducing their economies’ dependency on fossil fuels, and thus stem the source of many armed conflicts.

US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among more than 150 heads of state that will be in Paris for the start of the COP21 summit, which aims to obtain binding pledges from countries to massively reduce their CO2 emissions and slow global warming.

Marches cancelled

Another goal of the two-week conference is to secure $100 billion per year by 2020 from global institutions and wealthier countries to help the developing world transition to clean energy sources more quickly.

There were concerns that an increased focus on fighting terrorism in the wake of the Paris attacks would potentially shift funds away from tackling climate change.

In his first speech following the November 13 attacks that killed 130 people in the French capital, Hollande declared the attacks an "act of war" by the IS group and said he would not hesitate to forego European fiscal guidelines if more money was needed to boost security in his country.

The threat of another attack on French soil has also forced authorities to pull the plug on two citizen marches that were planned to coincide with the start and close of the COP21 conference.

Hulot, who also heads up an environmental non-profit group, said he was disappointed ordinary citizens would be deprived of an opportunity to express themselves and put pressure on leaders at the COP21 negotiating table, but defended the decision.

“I have been working with the government and know there is good reason to cancel these marches”, Hulot said. “I think the fact that the COP21 is going ahead is already a courageous decision by French authorities”.

“I think that everyone understands that it is impossible to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of people given the uncertainty that reigns right now”, added Hulot.

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COP21: Public support for tough climate deal 'declines'

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News

27 November 2015

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The Paris conference is seen as the best opportunity in six years to agree a new global climate treaty

Public support for a strong global deal on climate change has declined, according to a poll carried out in 20 countries.

Only four now have majorities in favour of their governments setting ambitious targets at a global conference in Paris.

In a similar poll before the Copenhagen meeting in 2009, eight countries had majorities favouring tough action.

The poll has been provided to the BBC by research group GlobeScan.

Just under half of all those surveyed viewed climate change as a "very serious" problem this year, compared with 63% in 2009.

The findings will make sober reading for global political leaders, who will gather in Paris next week for the start of the United Nations climate conference, known as COP21.

It's being billed as the best opportunity in six years to achieve a significant advance on tackling rising temperatures.

In 2009, in Copenhagen, the leaders failed to deliver a strong outcome despite widespread public expectation that a deal was needed.

The BBC asked the GlobeScan research group what their long-term polling suggested about public opinion on climate negotiations.

Around 1,000 people in each of 20 countries were questioned about their attitudes. The survey was carried out in January and February of 2015.

Declining support

The number rating climate change as a very serious issue in richer countries declined significantly from 2009, while support for strong action at the Paris conference has only grown in three of the 20 countries polled.

Canada, France, Spain and the UK are the only four with majorities in favour of their governments taking a leading role.

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Most developed countries have seen a significant drop in support for strong climate leadership

All told an average of 42% of those polled want their government to play a leadership role in setting ambitious targets, while another 41% want their government to take a more moderate approach and support only gradual action.

"The public are less concerned about climate change, and when you put that in the context of the climate conference in Paris, the findings show less support for an ambitious and binding agreement at a global level than there was ahead of COP15 in 2009 in Copenhagen," said Lionel Bellier, from GlobeScan.

"It's not an abrupt change of views, the trend seems to be now towards a softer approach."

Public support has also declined in developing countries including China and Indonesia.

The pollsters believe that global economic recession has played a significant role in changing people's perspectives on rising temperatures.

"When we look at the broad range of environmental issues, they all have gone down in terms of concern, in all countries, since 2009, at the same time you see that concerns about the economy have risen, and what's capturing the agenda is terrorism, which has risen up the agenda over the last two years."

Commenting on the findings, former UN Executive Secretary, Yvo de Boer, now with the Global Green Growth Institute, said he wasn't surprised there had been some fall-off in support since 2009 when he chaired the meeting in the Danish capital.

"It is certainly true that in the run-up to Copenhagen there was very broad international support and enthusiasm to see a strong outcome," he told BBC News.

"There was obviously very significant disappointment when that didn't happen and on top of that came the financial crisis, so I do think there is a pre-occupation with more direct economic concerns of today."

What may also cause concern for political leaders meeting in Paris is the growing sense among rich and poor countries that taking action on climate change could be costly and might destabilise fragile growth.

"The slowdown of the economy in China in the past 12 months has certainly impacted people's views, but also people are increasingly worried about the impact on their economies of curbing emissions, if we take major steps on climate change," said Lionel Bellier.

The pollsters suggest that citizens globally are becoming more informed about climate change.

They also found more than twice as many people today blame rising levels of carbon dioxide from human activities for extreme weather events as compared to a similar poll carried out in January 2000.

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COP21: Pope's adviser urges Catholics to join climate marches

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News, Paris

28 November 2015

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Cardinal Peter Turkson is close to the Pope on environmental issues

The Pope's closest adviser on ecology has urged Catholics to join global climate marches planned for Sunday.

In an internal letter to bishops, Cardinal Peter Turkson says people should be "encouraged" to exercise their "ecological citizenship".

The letter says that climate negotiators meeting in Paris need to hear the voice of "God's people".

Activists say the call is evidence of a step-change in the Church's approach to climate change.

Major demonstrations across the world have been planned to mark the start of the global climate conference, known as COP21.

In Paris, planned big rallies have been cancelled in the wake of the 13 November attacks which killed 130 people.

Nearly 1,000 people thought to represent a security risk have been barred from entering the country, said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

A handful of other activists have been placed under house arrest under emergency powers introduced following the attacks.

But elsewhere protesters have taken to the streets to demand action.

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Protests and marches are taking place around the world on Saturday and Sunday - here, some of thousands of protesters who took to the streets in Manila, the Philippines

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A polar bear led protests in Tokyo, Japan

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And in Dhaka, Bangladesh, activists urged leaders in Paris to listen to their demands with the hashtag #EarthtoParis

'Offer your support'

Over the next two weeks, delegates meeting here are hoping to strike a new, far-reaching deal on climate change.

In his letter to around 5,000 Catholic bishops around the world, the cardinal makes it clear that relying on political leaders to achieve environmental justice is not enough.

He states that more than one million people around the world are likely to take part in climate marches on 29 November.

The marchers will be exercising "global ecological citizenship", he says, and he suggests to the bishops that they "are warmly invited to offer your support in prayer, word and action".

The letter gives contact details for the bishops on how to find out about marches in their diocese.

"If you could please encourage the faithful and many others to exercise their 'ecological citizenship', this would surely help to reinforce the humble and peaceable spirit of Laudato si', and it would spiritually express communion with the universal church," the letter reads.

Deal concern

Cardinal Peter Turkson is president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace but is seen as the Pope's point man on climate change.

A sometimes controversial figure within the Church, he was touted as a potential replacement after Pope Benedict's retirement.

Under Pope Francis he has emerged as a leading advocate for the environment and helped write the first draft of the Pope's landmark encyclical, Laudato Si'.

The Pope has expressed his worries that the negotiating process here in Paris may fail to deliver a global agreement.

He said it would be "catastrophic" if global leaders let special interest groups derail the deal.

Speaking in Nairobi earlier this week, the Pope said the world faced a stark choice to either "improve or destroy the environment".

'Pope's shoes'

Environmental campaigners are in little doubt that the letter to Catholic bishops is in keeping with the Pope's progressive stand on climate change.

"In the letter he is not only asking people to go to the streets, he is asking them to pray as well," said Oscar Soria from Avaaz, who are organising the global marches.

"I think it is a continuation of the Pope's narrative right now, from the encyclical, to his speech at the United Nations, then to Nairobi and then the climate march.

"It's clear sign that the Vatican is stepping up its climate battle in a way never seen before."

In Paris, an installation of "marching shoes" will be built with contributions from thousands of people.

The Pope has agreed that a pair of shoes bearing his name will be part of the display.

Cardinal Turkson is expected to attend COP21 as part of the official Holy See delegation.

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COP21: Rallies call for Paris climate change action

1 hour ago

Hundreds of thousands of people have marched worldwide to demand action to stop climate change but one protest in Paris was marred by violence.

More than 2,000 events took place globally on the eve of a UN summit in the French capital.

In Paris, police fired tear gas at a large group of demonstrators gathering in the Place de la Republique.

They were apparently protesting against France's state of emergency, and have been disowned by the main organisers.

The order, banning public gatherings, was put into place after the 13 November attacks in the city, in which 130 people died.

Many of those involved in the clashes wore masks or covered their faces.

Protesters and police walked over candles and tributes left for the attack victims at a makeshift memorial.

Some memorial candles were thrown at police.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 208 people were arrested, of whom 174 are still in custody.

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France's president criticised the fact clashes took place at the memorial

President Francois Hollande said it was "scandalous" that the clashes happened "where flowers and candles have been left in memory of those who were killed by the terrorists' bullets".

He added that the clashes had "nothing to do with those who protect the environment".

Nicholas Haeringer, of the campaign group 350.org, said protests should still be allowed to continue, adding that campaigners would "stand against any attempts by the French authorities to use the incidents this afternoon to unnecessarily clamp down on civil liberties".

Earlier, a human chain was formed by hundreds linking arms in Paris along the 3km (1.9 miles) route of a march that was called off after the 13 November attacks.

A gap in the chain was left in front of the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people were killed.

Hundreds of pairs of shoes were left on Place de la Republique to remember those left frustrated in their plans to march.

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A protester from Germany wears a head dress featuring a polar bear during a climate change rally on November 29, 2015 in ParisImage copyrightAFP/Getty Images

Among them were a pair donated by Pope Francis, who has called for urgent action on climate change.

Elsewhere in Europe, organisers said some 10,000 people turned out in Berlin, with close to double that in Madrid.

An estimated 50,000 people took part in a march in central London, where opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed crowds.

Activists want action to limit the rise in the average global temperature to 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels.

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Traditional rituals were performed during a march in Bogota, Colombia

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The protest in Rio de Janeiro involved plenty of mud

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Tens of thousands gathered in the middle of London

In Sydney, many people carried placards reading "There is no Planet B" and "Solidarity on a global scale".

"In 10 years' time our children are going to say, 'Mum, did you know about this? What was everyone doing'?" said Kate Charlesworth, a doctor and mother, in Sydney.

Mayor Clover Moore tweeted to say that, according to organisers, the true number of demonstrators was "at least 45,000", which would make it the biggest ever such march in Sydney, if confirmed.

"Those who did the least to cause the problem are feeling the impacts first and hardest, like our sisters and brothers in the Pacific," said Oxfam campaigner Judee Adams in a protest of some 5,000 people in Adelaide.

Further demonstrations were held in Sao Paulo, Mexico City and New York, among other cities.

About 150 world leaders are due to attend the Paris talks including US President Barack Obama, China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Mr Hollande says he hopes a deal can be achieved, but that it will not be easy.

"Man is the worst enemy of man," he said. "We can see it with terrorism. But we can say the same when it comes to climate. Human beings are destroying nature, damaging the environment."

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COP21: Paris conference could be climate turning point, says Obama

1 hour ago

US President Barack Obama has said the UN climate conference in Paris could be a "turning point" in global efforts to limit future temperature rises.

Negotiators from 195 countries will try to reach a deal within two weeks aimed at reducing global carbon emissions and limiting global warming to 2C (3.6F).

Leaders from 147 nations have been addressing the meeting, known as COP21.

President Obama urged negotiators to deliver a meaningful deal, because the "next generation is watching".

He told delegates: "Climate change could define the contours of this century more than any other (challenge).

"I came here personally to say the United States not only recognises the problem but is committed to do something about it."

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Organisers hope the Paris talks will be a vintage year and will bear fruit

He added that recent years had shown that the global economy had grown while emissions had remained flat, breaking the old arguments for inaction "that economic growth and environmental protection were in conflict".

Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the conference.

During negotiations for the preceding Kyoto Protocol, Russia was the last industrialised nation to ratify the global agreement, allowing the landmark deal to come into force in 2001.

Echoing President Obama, Mr Putin said: "We have demonstrated we can ensure economic development and take care of our environment at the same time."

In a diplomatic play on semantics, probably to highlight the differing points of view between industrialised and emerging economies, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the conference he did not see the Paris talks as a turning point nor a "finish line, but a new starting point".

He said that climate change went beyond national borders and that it was "a shared mission for all mankind", before reiterating China's pledge to start cutting its emissions from a peak in 2030.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Analysis - Matt McGrath, BBC environment correspondent, at COP21

So what can we glean from the warm words and good intentions of the leaders?

There are certainly positive omens. Leader after leader sang the same hymn - climate change is a huge challenge, only co-operation on a global level can solve it, and my country is doing great!

Still, there were obvious divisions.

Progress may or may not happen over the next two weeks.

One negotiator told me the whole idea was for the leaders to come, speak and happily be on their way without toppling this carefully constructed applecart.

Unlike in Copenhagen in 2009.

"The leaders fully understand the political nature, the political difficulties. They are coming here to provide manoeuvring guidance," he said with a hint of irony.

"And we as negotiators will then have to fix it."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


British Prime Minister David Cameron used his address to consider how future generations would respond to the idea that it was "too difficult" for this generation of politicians to reach an agreement in 2015.

"Our grandchildren would ask why it was so difficult," he said, before listing how progress had been made in delivering climate policy, such as financing, carbon budgets and technological research and development.

"Instead of making excuses to our children and grandchildren, we should be taking action," Mr Cameron stated.

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Security has been tight around the climate talks, attended by more than 150 world leaders

Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga made a stark observation in his passionate address: "If we save Tuvalu, we will surely save the world."

"Like other nations in the Pacific, our survival depends on the decisions we take here in Paris," he said, reflecting the concerns of many Small Island States (SISs) around the globe.

"We stand on a cliff edge. Either we stand united and agree to combat climate change, or we all stumble and fall."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Key issues

Major points of contention include:


Limits: The UN has endorsed a goal of limiting global warming to no more than 2C over pre-industrial levels by the end of the century.

But more than 100 poorer countries and low-lying, small-island states are calling for a tougher goal of 1.5C.


Fairness: Developing nations say industrialised countries should do more to cut emissions, having polluted for much longer.

But rich countries insist that the burden must be shared to reach the 2C target.


Money: One of the few firm decisions from the 2009 UN climate conference in Copenhagen was a pledge from rich economies to provide $100 billion (93 billion euros) a year in financial support for poor countries from 2020 to develop technology and build infrastructure to cut emissions.

Where that money will come from and how it will be distributed has yet to be agreed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Much of the discussion in Paris is expected to centre on an agreement to limit global warming to 2C (3.6F).

However, assessments of the more than 180 national climate action plans submitted by countries to the summit suggest that if they are implemented, the world will see a rise of nearer to 3C.

Christiana Figueres, the head of the UN's climate change negotiations, told delegates that never before had a responsibility so great been in the hands of so few.

"The world is looking to you," she said. "The world is counting on you."

The talks are taking place amid tight security, two weeks after attacks in Paris claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.

World leaders are attending the start of the two-week meeting to give impetus to the talks, after the high-profile failure of the Copenhagen summit in 2009.

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COP21: Coal plans would derail 2 degree warming target

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News

8 hours ago

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If all the new coal plants are built, the chances of controlling warming will reduce significantly say researchers

Attempts to keep global warming to 2 degrees will be wildly off course if all planned coal fire plants are built.

That's the conclusion of a new analysis presented here at the UN climate conference near Paris.

Researchers said construction would see emissions four times higher than the 2 degree target by 2030.

They say the building plans are in conflict with the carbon cutting agendas of countries like India and China.

The Climate Action Tracker analysis says that 2,440 coal fired power stations are planned around the world before 2030.

Emissions from the world's existing plants will be 150% higher than what is consistent with a 2 degree target, says their report.

But if all those in the planning stage are actually built, the outlook would be far more pessimistic.

"If all of them were to be built, they would emit 6.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide in 2030," said Dr Niklas Hohne, one of the research team.

"If you add all of the power plants that are existing today and will still be operating in 2030, you come to 12 gigatonnes from coal fired power in 2030 and that's actually 400% higher than is necessary for 2 degrees."

Halfway house

Scientists say the 2 degrees target is the threshold of dangerous warming.

Temperatures have already gone up around one degree from pre-industrial times, according to the latest research.

The coal study looks at eight countries including India, China, Indonesia and the European Union.

All of them have submitted national carbon cutting plans, termed INDCs, promising to reduce or cap their emissions.

But many of these countries are pushing ahead with plans for coal fired power as a way of getting as many of their people on the electricity grid as rapidly as possible.

"For seven of the nine countries, the planned coal plants threaten their INDCs," said Markus Hagemann of the NewClimate Institute, who took part in the study.

"This would lead to higher emissions from coal plants and it would undermine the country's efforts and it could also lead in a worst case to a displacement of renewable energy."

The researchers believe that in many nations the apparent contradiction is caused by politics.

Different government departments have different plans, they say, and these power battles are leading to many countries offering to cut their carbon while increasing their reliance on coal.

According to some participants these contradictory signals are having a negative impact on the chances of setting a long term goal to get rid of fossil fuels.

One participant said the idea of including the term in the text being negotiated here had become "toxic" at COP21.

"Decarbonisation is emerging as a toxic word; many countries appear as quite opposed to decarbonisation," said Bill Hare, of Climate Analytics.

"Many of those countries, though not all, whose coal plans would breach their INDCs are among those opposed to the word decarbonisation.

"You can begin to draw a line between the coal stations being planned and the negotiating dynamics here of the long term goals."

India and China are said to oppose the idea of including the term or the idea as the long term goal in the text.

But the Indian environment minister gave a robust defence of his country's plans to continue using coal while increasing the amount of renewables.

"My energy consumption is one twelfth that of US and one tenth that of Europe, so don't you think that my people also have a right to grow and use energy?," said Prakash Javadekar.

"Should they remain in the dark? Is that humanity? That is why I will need power from all sources. We are increasing our renewable targets tenfold in the next 15 years but we will require coal because it is the need of the hour for my people to grow."

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02 December 2015

Negotiators urged to speed 'frustrating' climate pact talks

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© AFP / by Mariëtte Le Roux | French Foreign Affairs minister Laurent Fabius , pictured at the COP21 climate summit venue in Paris on December 2, 2015, said there is "still a lot of work to do" and urged negotiators to set a faster pace Since a high-profile opening by more than 150 world leaders on Monday, bureaucrats have been poring over a draft of the first pact to propose a global roster of carbon-curbing undertakings.

LE BOURGET (FRANCE) (AFP) - Climate chiefs urged negotiators from 195 nations Wednesday to hurry towards an historic pact on global warming as frustration over the grinding pace of UN talks in Paris began to simmer.

As a December 11 deadline loomed, concern mounted over sluggish progress in forging the most ambitious climate deal ever.

"My message is clear: we must accelerate the process because there is still a lot of work to do," said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, presiding over the negotiations.

"Options for compromise need to be found as quickly as possible," he pleaded.

The UN talks aim at slashing greenhouse-gas emissions which trap the Sun's heat, warming Earth's surface and oceans and disrupting its delicate climate system.

Taking effect from 2020, the pact would target emissions from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas -- the backbone of the world's energy supply today -- and channel hundreds of billions of dollars in aid to vulnerable countries.

More than 150 world leaders launched the Paris talks Monday, seeking to build momentum for the tough negotiations ahead with lofty rhetoric about the urgency of the task.

But negotiators said the nitty-gritty discussions for a hugely complex 54-page draft text, riddled with undecided clauses, were advancing too slowly.

- 'Growing frustration' -

"We are not making anywhere near the progress we need to be making at this point," said Daniel Reifsnyder, one of the two co-chairmen in the talks' key arena.

Delegates, gathered at a highly-secured conference centre on the northern outskirts of Paris, remain deeply split over the key issues of finance for developing nations and burden-sharing, said a European negotiator who asked not to be named.

"There is a growing frustration," the European source said, with bureaucrats refusing to budge on the wording of certain sections of a draft text, but "some progress" being made elsewhere.

"It's quite messy now," agreed Greenpeace climate campaigner Li Shuo, who has observer status in the talks. "At some point, we definitely need to switch gear."

Such frustrations are typical of the start of climate negotiations, where vast interests are at stake and a single word in an agreement can have big repercussions, said veteran observers.

"I remain confident that it will be a hard fought two weeks but at the end of the day we are likely to achieve, and I believe we will achieve, an agreement," Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt Hunt told reporters.

UN climate chief Christiana Figueres cautioned against despair.

"The text of the agreement will go through ups and downs, there will be many commas inserted and commas removed because that is the nature of this. It is a legally binding text and needs to be reviewed very, very carefully," she said.

Touching on the rich-poor issue, British charity Oxfam issued a study saying the wealthiest 10 percent of people produce half of Earth's climate-harming fossil-fuel emissions, while the poorest half contribute a mere 10 percent.

An average person among the richest one percent emits 175 times more carbon than his or her counterpart among the bottom 10 percent, the charity said.

Developing countries say the West has polluted for much longer and should shoulder a bigger obligation for cutting back.

- Finance wrangle -

They are also calling on rich nations to make good on a 2009 pledge to muster $100 billion (94 billion euros) a year in climate aid by 2020.

"The finance issue is the most difficult here," said Alden Meyer, of the respected US observer group the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). "People are not putting a lot of things on the table."

China briefly grabbed the limelight in Paris as its State Council vowed to slash emissions from coal-fired power stations by 60 percent by 2020.

The move would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 180 million tonnes annually, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

But specialists said Beijing's announcement, which coincided with growing discontent over choking pollution levels in China, offered nothing new.

"These are old numbers," said Lo Sze Ping, head of the World Wide Fund for Nature's China division. "These are the outcomes of what the government has committed to."

At the core of the talks is the goal of limiting warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

That objective -- along with a more ambitious option of 1.5 C -- has been enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 2010.

Since then, scientists have pounded out an ever-louder warning that relentlessly climbing carbon emissions will doom future generations to rising seas and worsening floods, storms and drought -- a recipe for hunger, disease and homelessness for many millions.

by Mariëtte Le Roux

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COP21: City mayors discuss green solutions

By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

4 December 2015

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The world's largest solar boat is currently moored on the Seine

Cities could use water from rivers and the sea to stay cool as the climate heats, city mayors have been told.

Carbon emissions from air-conditioning are expected to soar as temperatures climb and people become richer.

But at a global mayors summit, Paris is showcasing a simple technology using water piped from the Seine to cool apartments near the Champs Elysees.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said he wanted London to follow suit by cooling buildings using water from the Thames.

"I don't like to admit it - but the French are ahead of us on this," he confessed.

The system works by taking water from the river and piping it round people's homes like ordinary piped water air conditioning.

In summer a heat pump is used to make the water even cooler by employing technology similar to a fridge.

The mayors meeting in Paris City Hall is timed to coincide with the UN climate summit.

It brings together half of the 80 mega-city mayors who are working together to tackle climate change.

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Global majors in Paris City Hall

The chairman of the group, Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio, said the mayors represented 600m people and a quarter of the global economy.

"We can be very effective," he said. "Sometimes governments move slowly - we can often move more quickly."

The mayors said they had learned from each other to spread green solutions round the world.

They claim to have collectively made 10,000 climate initiatives since 2009.

They spoke about their favourite initiatives:

-Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver, said that in car-dominated North America more than half of people were now using what he calls "active transport" - walking, cycling and mass transit.

-Frank Jensen, Mayor of Copenhagen, said 99% of homes in his city were warmed by district heating, in which a network of premises are served by one efficient central heating system. He said this had more than halved carbon emissions since 1995.

-Clover Moore, Mayor of Sydney, said the city had saved cash and cut emissions by 40% after she learned about low-energy lighting from the Mayor of Los Angeles. "Working together, it's powerful action across the world," she said.

-Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, Mayor of Accra, said Ghana was being plagued by severe and erratic rains which he believed were linked to climate change. "Usually our rains are in July and Feb… but it's raining now." Tough decisions had to be made, he said, to clear slum dwellers so water courses could be unblocked.

-Karin Wanngård, Mayor of Stockholm said the city would be fossil fuel free by 2040. A new city area with 12,000 houses would generate more energy than it uses by 2030. "Mayors can really make a difference - we can push boundaries," she said.

-Boris Johnson's team said since the Mayor was elected in 2008, carbon emissions in London were down by 14%, even though population had swelled.
He said a major preoccupation was to find ways of finding a low-carbon way to provide the heating and cooling from natural gas, which made up nearly 50% of the city's emissions.

-Darren Johnson, Green member for the London Assembly, told BBC News: "On the whole Boris Johnson has been a real disappointment. He has expressed climate sceptic views and failed to meet most of the targets in his (climate) strategies."

The global commission advised by Lord Stern concluded recently that climate change could only be tackled if new cities to house a burgeoning population could be planned less like Los Angeles and more like Paris.

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COP21: Climate delegates agree draft deal text

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News, Paris

5 December 2015

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Delegates at a UN climate conference in Paris have approved a draft text they hope will form the basis of an agreement to curb global carbon emissions.

The 48-page document will be discussed by ministers on Monday.

They will try to arrive at a comprehensive settlement by the end of next week.

The French climate ambassador warned that major political differences still needed to be resolved.

Delegates from 195 countries worked through the night at the conference centre in Le Bourget, conscious of a midday Saturday deadline imposed by the French presidency of this meeting.

The weighty document will now go forward to ministers who will have to take the many political decisions still required, if the text is to be turned into a long-term agreement.

"Nothing has been decided and nothing will be left behind," said French climate ambassador Laurence Tubiana.

"This text marks the will of all to reach an agreement. We are not at the end of the route. Major political issues are yet to be resolved," she warned.

Tricky decisions

Many delegates were relieved that they had at least reached this point, as it marks a critical point after four years of negotiations.

The document lays out a range of options for ministers on what the long-term goal of the deal should be, as well as the scale and the methods of raising climate finance for poorer nations.

Among the many tricky issues they will have to deal with is differentiation: many countries are reluctant to change the way that nations are divided into developed and developing, based on where they were in 1992, when the UN Convention was signed.

Many richer countries want this to change, and want a greater number of emerging economies to take on emissions reduction targets and become climate finance donors.

South Africa's climate ambassador struck a note of warning on this issue.

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On Friday, mayors from around the world took part in an event as part of the COP21 summit

"The Paris outcome must be under the convention and in accordance with its principles and provisions and must not rewrite or re-interpret its decisions," said Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, who speaks on behalf of more than 130 developing nations.

Negotiators had hoped to be much further forward at the end of the week.

They started out with a 50-page document and by Friday had reduced it to 36 pages of text.

"We now need to summon the political will needed to make the hard decisions required for an effective and durable agreement that protects the most vulnerable among us," said Thoriq Ibrahim of the Maldives and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States.

Many countries had reservations about the Friday document, so what has now been agreed contains these concerns added as an annex - pushing the document to 48 pages.

There are worries that far too much has been left to ministers to agree, and that in an effort to reach a deal, too many compromises will be made.

"We're hoping that in the rush to the end, ministers do not trade ambition for expediency, and remain true to the science," warned Tasneem Essop from WWF.

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COP21: UK under fire on climate policy

By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

6 December 2015

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David Cameron joined world leaders at the start of the Paris talks

Allegations of hypocrisy will be levelled at the UK when the Climate Secretary Amber Rudd appears at the Paris climate summit on Monday.

Environmentalists say the UK government is talking impressively on climate change to its international audience, but down-grading energy policy at home.

Ministers say they are still committed to long-term CO2 emissions reductions.

And the Prime Minister David Cameron impressed summit delegates with his passionate call to action.

But in recent months his chancellor has made many policy changes judged likely to increase emissions of greenhouse gases.

Most recently Mr Osborne scrapped a £1bn fund for a demonstration plant to capture CO2 from a power station and store it underground.

It was a major pillar of UK climate policy.

Craig Bennett from Friends of the Earth said: "The government is totally hypocritical on climate change.

"George Osborne's anti-environmental policy decisions on energy fly the opposite way to the low-carbon route the vast majority of other countries are pursuing.

"There is a total mismatch between his policies and the warm words of David Cameron. The reality is that on energy policy the chancellor is effectively prime minister already."

Extra costs

There has also been criticism in Paris over the UK's contribution to climate finance for developing countries.

Britain was praised by the UN for doubling its funding to help poor nations get clean technology and to adapt to climate change.

But now the UK is under fire for diverting that climate cash from the regular aid budget.

A spokesman for the Least Developed Countries in Paris told BBC News: "The Copenhagen climate meeting made it clear - climate finance should be new and additional funds, which means it should not come from foreign aid - which is meant for development.

"Think of it like building a road. You use the aid money for the road, but if temperatures rise due to climate change, you will have to thicken the tarmac, which is an extra cost.

"If you build a road which is liable to flood due to rising sea levels, you will need to build in flood protection, which is again additional to development. It's that simple."

Domestic priorities

A spokesman for the energy and climate department, DECC, replied that the UK's climate finance would help poor communities become resilient to climate change and to get clean energy.

She said: "We are committed to getting a global deal in Paris that will help prevent the worst impacts of climate change and grow the low-carbon economy."

The spokesman defended changes to policy priorities in the UK: "Amber Rudd stated the priority is to keep the lights on and bills as low as possible; as well as to reduce the carbon emissions by 80% by 2050."

But is DECC really running energy and climate policy?

Sources in the department have told journalists informally that decisions are being driven by the chancellor.

BBC News has contacted the Treasury three times to ask about the chancellor's policies on carbon emissions.

We have so far received no reply from Treasury, except for to say that the department does not comment on the chancellor's personal views.

This time we asked for these questions to be addressed:

-Does Mr Osborne accept that tackling climate change is urgent?

-Does he accept that his recent policy changes will mostly increase emissions?

-Why did Mr Osborne scrap carbon capture and storage funding - a main pillar of UK climate policy?

-Does the chancellor accept that changing 'Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is likely to increase emissions as people buy bigger cars?

The questions appear to have been referred to DECC, who said of the scrapping of CCS funding: "Government has not taken this decision lightly. Government was clear that this capital was subject to affordability. This was a tight financial settlement and difficult decisions have had to be made.

"CCS has a potential role in the long-term de-carbonisation of the UK and the government will engage closely with bidders on the implication of this decision for them."

On the question of the change in VED rules leading to increased CO2 emissions, the DECC spokesman re-iterated the Chancellor's statement that VED tax breaks needed to change to ensure cash to fund new roads.

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COP21: Carbon emissions 'to stall or even decline' this year

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News, Paris

7 hours ago

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The burning of coal for power is a large contributor to atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases

Global emissions of carbon dioxide are likely to stall and even decline slightly this year, new data suggests.

Researchers say it is the first time this has happened while the global economy has continued to grow.

The fall-off is due to reduced coal use in China, as well as faster uptake of renewables, the scientists involved in the assessment add.

But they expect the stall to be temporary and for emissions to grow again as emerging economies develop.

According to the study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change and presented here at COP21 in Paris, emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and industry are likely to have fallen 0.6% in 2015.

They increased by around the same amount in 2014.

Since 2000, global emissions have grown annually by 2-3%.

The slowdown has occurred while the global economy has grown by 3% in both 2014 and 2015.

"We're expecting a stalling in emissions, possibly even a little decrease," said Prof Corinne Le Quere from the University of East Anglia, UK, who led the data analysis.

"The main cause is from decreased coal use in China. It's restructuring its economy, but there is also a contribution from the very fast growth in renewable energy worldwide, and this is the most interesting part: can we actually grow renewable energy enough to offset the coal use elsewhere?"

No peaking

China continued to be the world leader in emissions, according to the report, responsible for 27% of the global total.

With its economy slowing, coal use has declined just as concerns have grown over air pollution issues in urban areas.

There has also been a rapid take-up in renewables.

However, Prof Le Quere said that despite this year's figures, the global peak of emissions use was not yet in sight.

"As the emerging economies are mostly based on coal, as they grow we are expecting a restart in the emissions," she told BBC News.

"And in the industrial economies like in the UK, where emissions are going down, the decrease is relatively modest, mostly 1-2%. We would be looking for a much faster decrease than that to offset the growth in the developing countries."

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The UN secretary general seems to see the funny side of things at the opening of the ministerial section at COP21

India was the fourth largest emitter overall in in 2014, with its emissions now matching those of China's in 1990.

India's growth in 2014 was offset by a similar decline in the European Union, which experienced an unusually warm winter combined with a sustained long-term decline in carbon output.

But the rapid growth in Indian emissions is causing some concern for researchers.

"The learning curve took China about 20 years to achieve this current level of efficiency," said Prof Dabo Guan, also from the University of East Anglia.

"If everything moves to India without significant energy structure improvements then emissions will significantly grow. We have already seen the Indian emissions take off in the last couple of years."

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Annual emissions add to the concentration of CO2 already in the atmosphere, which continues to rise

The study has been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The scientists involved believe that while the slowdown in emissions is welcome, albeit temporary, it could be a snapshot of the future if a deal can be done here in Paris.

Prof Le Quere told the BBC: "To deal with climate change we need emissions to go to zero - and we are now talking about zero growth and not zero emissions - so we are still a long, long way from that."

"It could begin to look like a peak in emissions after Paris if the agreement is very strong."

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COP21: Hopes rise as EU forms alliance to push for deal

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News, Paris

7 hours ago

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The EU and 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries announced a new alliance at climate talks in Paris

The European Union has formed an alliance with 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in a final push for agreement at the climate summit COP21.

The new alliance has agreed a common position on some of the most divisive aspects of the proposed deal.

They say the Paris agreement must be legally binding, inclusive and fair - and be reviewed every 5 years.

The EU will pay 475 million euros to support climate action in the partner countries up to 2020.

The alliance has also agreed that the Paris text must include a "transparency and accountability system" to track nations' progress on their climate pledges, and share best practice.

'Extremely important'

The talks here at Le Bourget have shown signs of progress since a draft text of the deal was agreed by all parties here last Saturday.

This announcement from the EU is likely to boost the chances of a deal.

"It is extremely important that at this stage of the negotiations 79 countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and 28 European countries join forces fighting for a very ambitious agreement in this climate summit," said EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete.

"We consider it extremely important to have this joint position. We were united in Durban (2011); we are united now."

Negotiators have been struggling to find agreement on a long-term goal for the Paris agreement, with small island nations in particular pushing for a deal that would seek to limit warming to 1.5C.

"We are working to find the language to accommodate 1.5 degrees within the agreement," Mr Canete said.

"We are still talking on it."

The 475 million euros will be to support climate action, resilience-building and the environment in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

This seems to have been key in getting the support of these nations for a review process every five years.

"We believe this agreement must be something very tangible with clear-cut targets, and that it be reviewed and examined every five years," said Dr Patrick Ignatius Gomes, the chairman of the African-Caribbean Pacific group of states.

"There is no turning back."

The alliance came as other ministers and observers talked up the chances of a deal.

"Though we have some tough issues in the next few days to resolve, I am confident that we have the ability to do it," said US Secretary of State John Kerry at the meeting.

There are still significant divisions on finance and on the roles that the developed and developing nations must play. But there is a growing sense that ministers are engaged.

"We are advancing on everything," said France's climate ambassador Laurence Tubiana.

"There is no issue where we are blocked," she added. "None."

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COP21: 'Fireworks' expected as new climate text published

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News

9 hours ago

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The publication of the latest text could be a significant moment at COP21

A critical "clean" draft text has been published at UN climate talks here in Paris after delays.

This new version, 29 pages long, marks the first time the French presidency of the meeting has pulled together an outline of a deal.

The new draft has significantly reduced the options on many of the key questions after days of negotiations.

One observer warned that there could be "fireworks" if countries are unhappy with the compromises proposed.

Last Saturday, negotiators from 195 countries agreed on a weighty 48-page document, the summation of four years of talks that began in Durban in 2011.

That document was handed to the French president of COP21, Laurent Fabius.

Over the past few days he has asked pairs of ministers from around the world to try to advance aspects of the document.

Today marks the first time when the French will present their version of the progress that has been made.

They have included a smaller number of options on some of the most contentious issues.

According to Mr Fabius, the key difficulties have been identified.

"The focus is now on open questions that still need to be settled at a political level," he told the negotiators.

On the key issue of what the overall purpose of the document should be, there are now three options:

-The first says that temperature rises should be kept below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels

-The third option says they should be kept below 1.5 degrees

-But option two, the one which would seem to be the obvious compromise at present, says temperatures should be kept well below 2 degrees C while scaling up efforts to limit the rise to below 1.5, while recognising that in some parts of the world there are high risks projected even for warming at that level.

Tied in with the question of temperature is the issue of moving away from fossil fuels.

This collective long term goal has many of the key elements in square brackets indicating areas of disagreement.

The options here range from cutting carbon emissions 40-70% below 2010 levels or 70-95%, or to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end or after the middle of the century.

The term "decarbonisation" is still in the text, in brackets.

Many green campaigners will be pleased with that although countries like Saudi Arabia will find that term hard to take.

'Risky business'

Observers were unsure as to how the parties would react to the new text.

"This is the first time the French fingerprints will be on the process, and that's a risky business," said Dr Diarmuid Torney from Dublin City University, who is an observer at these talks.

"We saw [this] earlier this year at a previous climate meeting in Bonn when the co-chairs tried to come up with a shorter text and the response from parties was to re-insert all their favourite parts back into the text. There could be fireworks."

Mr Fabius said that the remaining difficulties centred on differentiation, finance and the level of ambition.

Richer countries want a greater number of developing nations to take on responsibilities to cut emissions and to contribute to climate finance initiatives.

They argue that the world has changed since 1992 when the UN climate convention was signed.

The developing countries don't see it that way.

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Negotiators were facing a long session at COP21 after the publication of the latest text

"The world has not really changed in terms of the kind of poverty and in terms of the number of people who are suffering," said Meena Raman from the Third World Network.

"The developed countries are hell bent on changing this principle so we can expect a big fight."

Despite the significant gaps on critical issues, the talks were boosted yesterday by the announcement of an alliance between the European Union and 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

The partners are backing a legally binding deal that will be reviewed every five years.

This coalition of developed and developing countries is seen as an important step in securing an overall agreement.

"It isn't really about a single coalition working to a single set of aims, it's about countries working out that they have a range of different things they are trying to achieve and they need to work with different partners to achieve that," said Ruth Davis from Greenpeace.

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COP21: US joins 'high ambition coalition' for climate deal

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News, Paris

10 December 2015

The United States has joined with the EU and a range of other countries at COP21 in an effort to secure a final agreement.

The so called "high ambition coalition" now comprises well over 100 countries from the rich and developing world.

As well as the US, Norway, Mexico and Colombia have offered their support to the alliance.

Delegates worked through the night on a draft text of the agreement with a further version likely on Thursday.

On Tuesday the European Union joined with 79 countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to push for an "ambitious, durable and legally binding" deal with a strong review every five years.

On Wednesday, the US joined the grouping, which, although it will not be a formal negotiating block, has set out a common position on what the Paris agreement must achieve.

Climate allies

"We will be fighting for some very basic issues," said Tony De Brum, foreign minister of the Marshall Islands.

"Strong recognition of the below 1.5-degree temperature goal, a clear pathway for a low-carbon future, five-yearly updates and a strong package of support for developing countries, including delivery of $100bn per annum," he said.

US lead negotiator, Todd Stern, echoed the call for the 1.5-degree target to be recognised in the eventual agreement.

"We need beyond the below 2-degree target; we need to have a recognition of 1.5 degrees in the agreement and we need a very strong and balanced transparency article so everybody knows what we are all doing.

"This is our moment and we need to make it count," he said.

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Protestors took their message to the mini Eiffel tower at the Le Bourget conference centre

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, also told the meeting that the "science was screaming at us", and he urged the compromises necessary to make the deal happen in Paris.

He announced a doubling of grant-based adaptation funding by 2020 to $800m.

In the conference, the release of a new text was seen as a significant moment as it marked the first time the French presidency issued a draft of what they believed the agreement could look like.

At just 29 pages, encompassing an agreement and a draft decision, the new document marked a significant step forward in terms of size and in terms of cutting down the options presented to negotiators.

COP president, Laurent Fabius, said that questions of differentiation, finance and long-term ambition were still areas of significant disagreement.

Rich and poor nations alike both had problems with the text.

"Developed countries are not fulfilling their obligations," said Indian minister Prakash Javadekar.

"We cannot yet see the balance that we are all working towards here," said Peter Woolcott, the Australian environment ambassador.

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COP21: 'Conditions never better' for climate change deal

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News

1 hour ago

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Laurent Fabius is confident that the agreement will be supported by the plenary

Negotiators in Paris are again expected to work through the night in an effort to secure a new global climate deal.

The French president of the meeting said the "conditions were never better" for a strong and ambitious agreement.

Laurent Fabius said he was confident of presenting the final draft early on Saturday morning.

The document will be assessed by participants before a final plenary meeting of all the parties to approve the deal.

Despite insisting throughout the conference that the deal would be done by Friday evening, Laurent Fabius had to concede to the reality that critical issues remained and extra time would be needed.

Observers were concerned about the slippage, saying there were some concerns now that the time for compromises would run short.

"There has to be a take it or leave it text on Saturday," said Dr Diarmuid Torney from Dublin City University.

"With the length of time needed for processing and revising the document, whatever is released will be France's pitch for the final agreement," he told BBC News.

Significant progress had been reported on a range of issues in the latest version of the document, with evidence of real compromise between the parties.

Countries supported a temperature goal of 2C but agreed to make their best efforts to keep the warming rise to 1.5C.

However the language on cutting emissions in the long term was criticised for significantly watering down ambition.

Despite the advances, the talks seemed stuck on a number of important questions.

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Eager delegates leaf through the latest draft text

The question of demarcation between countries, called differentiation in the talks, was still the root cause of the difficulties.

"It's not an empty principle. It's an overarching provision or structure of whole agreement," said Gao Feng, China's Special Representative for Climate Change Negotiations.

"So it's not just a one line or phrase in the preamble, or in one single article - but it will be reflected in different articles."

Another major difficulty was transparency.

Richer countries want a single system of measuring, reporting and verifying the commitments countries make as part of this agreement.

It's said to be crucial to the US, who want to ensure that China is subject to the same sort of oversight as they are themselves.

China and India are not keen on this type of oversight.

It is proving a difficult nut to crack.

One positive note came with the announcement that Brazil was willing to join the so-called "high ambition coalition" of countries including the EU, the US and 79 countries.

The alliance said it would push for an ambitious and legally binding deal with a strong review mechanism.

Global leaders also joined in efforts to move things forward.

President Obama spoke to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping by phone on Friday with both leaders saying they were committed to an "ambitious" deal.

"Both leaders agreed that the Paris conference presents a crucial opportunity to galvanise global efforts to meet the climate change challenge," a White House statement said.

"They committed that their negotiating teams in Paris would continue to work closely together and with others to realise the vision of an ambitious climate agreement."

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