During our recent Taking the temperature consultation, Sustainable Communities SA members were invited to put forward their ideas on topics and issues that are important to them.

Michael Leane is concerned about the  outcomes of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) to review the UN Framework on Climate Change, held in December 2015. Please contact Sustainable Communities if you are interested in further discussion on this.

Michael says:

The outcome from the recent COP 21 to review the UN Framework on Climate Change, at its highest level produced a legally binding treaty on climate action which contains emission reduction commitments from 187 countries starting in 2020. The Paris Agreement will enter into force once 55 countries covering 55% of global emissions have acceded to it.

While these commitments will not deliver 2C, or 1.5C limit to global warming, the Paris Agreement does however ‘commit to a process of increasing emission cuts every 5 years to meet that goal. Countries will need to review and increase their emission reduction commitments every 5 years in order to meet the long term goal of greenhouse gas neutrality by the second half of century’.

Should the Paris agreement be seen as a ‘significant achievement for multilateral diplomacy… it is possible to agree international regimes to manage critical global problems’ ?   Is it too much to expect that ‘the Paris Agreement has broken new ground and placed adaptation, resilience and response to climate impacts at the heart of the new regime. This includes stronger early warning systems, addressing treatment of environmental refugees, and providing extreme weather insurance to 400 million more people in vulnerable countries by 2020’ ?

(Quotes from www.e3g.org/library/judging-cop21-outcome-and-whats-next-for-climate-action)

Do others have similar questions about the outcomes from COP21 ?  Is there any interest in finding suitable speakers who could address these and other related questions that might include financial mechanisms and developed – developing world interfaces, in a forum for interested people ?  Not a debate, rather a discussion and opportunity to learn. I have some contacts that might yield suitable speakers but would need help with organisation of venue and advertising if there is sufficient interest.