29 November, 2011

No move to close the gap at Bangkok climate talks

Authors

Niklas Höhne, Bill Hare, Michiel Schaeffer, Claudine Chen, Marion Vieweg, Sar Moltmann

The Bangkok climate talks have not changed the gap between emission reduction pledges and what is to needed to get the world on track for limiting global warming to 2 and 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. No developed country attempted to increase their reduction target as it was requested in Cancun Agreements and in the mandate for the workshop held in Bangkok. Only few countries clarified their actions to the extent it would raise the ambition but the effect of most countries’ clarifications is unclear.

Major issues of uncertainty remain, such as the carryover of unused allowances, accounting for forest, business-as-usual emissions in developing countries, exact conditions for implementing more ambitious pledges, such as details of the comprehensive international agreement for some developed countries and the scale of financing support needed for some developing countries.

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