Representing Ireland at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Peru
This week I’m representing Ireland at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru. Yesterday I attended the opening address by Ban Ki-Moon. Today, I will address the conference.
Almost 200 countries will be represented at the event, the aim of which will be to continue to work towards an effective international climate change agreement to be finalised in Paris next year. According to the UN, the talks will raise “immediate ambition to act on climate change in advance of the agreement coming into effect in 2020.”
Mary Robinson and Alex White at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru
Next year’s Paris conference is tasked with agreeing a legally-binding global agreement on climate change. This week’s Lima conference is tasked with agreeing a draft negotiating text, and agreeing on what information individual countries should supply about their contributions to meeting emissions targets.
Last October the European Union agreed a new target of a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and a 27% target for renewable energy use, by 2030. It also set a 27% target for improvements in energy efficiency. At the time, I said I was disappointed with the 27% target for energy efficiency, which was a reduction on the 30% target preferred by Ireland and other member states.
You can follow proceedings from the U.N. Climate Change Conference on twitter at @unfccc or #COP20
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