Laurence Tubiana, Ambassador for International Climate Change Negotiations and Special Representative of the French Government for COP 21, today spelt out the key elements of a "good outcome" of the conference in Paris in December this year as one that formalises a new legal instrument that is universal and legally binding to enable the global community address the challenges of climate change.
Addressing the business community at an interactive session organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Ms. Tubiana highlighted that Paris agreement must send out a clear and long-term signal on the future direction of the global policy so the business are confident about the much needed global and national actions on climate change.
France will be hosting and presiding the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from November 30 to December 11, 2015. COP 21 is seen as crucial conference, as it needs to achieve a new international climate change agreement applicable to all countries, with the aim of keeping the rise in temperature under 2°C from pre-industrial times.
Tubiana said that it was heartening to note that a majority of the countries were focusing on upscaling renewable energy through the communication of post 2020 commitments also known as the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).
Submission of INDCs by all countries before COP 21 will be a key component of the negotiations to achieve the Paris agreement.
Many leading emitters including, China, US, EU etc have submitted their INDCs to the UNFCCC however India is expected to submit its INDCs before Oct, 2015. She emphasized that the increased focus on renewable energy shows that it is indeed become a major market globally.
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Nicolas Hulot, Special Envoy of the French President for the protection of the Planet, in his address, stated that the Paris climate change conference has to be innovative to bring all parties on board and collectively find climate solutions to ensure the future of the planet. He emphasized that, a new climate agreement must work with business to maximize energy efficiency, clean energy technology innovation and deployment and these strategies must be regarded as long term investment for the future of our planet.
Susheel Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, pointed that IPR issues present the key barriers in technology transfer to developing countries. He emphasized that promoting technology innovation and technology deployment supported with appropriate financing from developed countries and focus on building community resilience is crucial to address the global climate challenge. In addition, he stressed on the need for enhanced climate finance from developed world to developing countries and suitable subvention scheme tailored for developing countries to help countries like India scale up its climate action.
FICCI presented a statement in the Run-up to COP 21, Paris to Mrs.Tubiana.
The statement highlighted that Paris has an opportunity to be different by setting a new benchmark for engaging business and industry.
Paris can be seen as the landmark in the history of the negotiations and it should be seen as a victory for businesses as much as a successful outcome for Governments.
The French COP Presidency has the opportunity to steer the negotiations towards a meaningful outcome that can be delivered by business, industry and governments; it has the opportunity to engage the business presence at the COP effectively. FICCI hopes the French COP Presidency will use innovative means to engage businesses in dialogue during the COP, to have business forums both as part of the official process and on the sidelines, providing ample scope for businesses to attend the COP and voice themselves. For the 2015 climate agreement and beyond, Indian industry is looking forward to discuss effective ways to contribute to the COP process and implement actions.
FICCI, representing the views of Indian business and industry, strongly urges for a climate agreement at Paris that will deliver on the following:
1. A mechanism to make leapfrog technologies accessible and affordable for developing countries
2. A mechanism to create innovative financing tools, instruments and products that will bridge financing gaps, mitigate risks and enable scale up
3.An architecture for a market based approach to emissions reductions
4. A framework for collaborations and partnerships between countries on technology research and development, transfer and cost effective deployment
5.The means to enable transformational shifts to low carbon trajectories such as a massive transition to clean energy, clean coal, cleaner fuels.
The business interactive session shared key insights on the expectations and opportunities for Indian businesses from COP 21. It also highlighted on creating a positive global ecosystem for stimulating international partnerships and cooperation on climate-friendly technologies, financing and capacity building.
Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, in his address stated that businesses in India would like to see that all INDCs come in well before COP21 and hoped that the Paris conference would be able to set a new benchmark for sustainability and ensure that there was no differential treatment meted out to developing countries.
Mr. Kolluru Krishan, Chair, FICCI Climate Change Task Force and Chairman, CVC India Infrastructure, thanked the French delegation and participants for the discussion on the key needs and priorities of the Indian industry towards COP 21.