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2023 was also not a good year for the climate: overheated oceans, forest fires and floods. At the same time, there is a backlog everywhere in achieving the climate objectives. The urgency could hardly be greater when heads of state and their delegations gather in Dubai at the end of November for the 28th UN Climate Change Conference.
What is this year’s conference about?
Last year in Egypt they agreed on a fund to compensate for climate-related damage and agreed to a gradual phase-out of coal. This year the emphasis is mainly on taking stock of progress in the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement for the first time. What have the countries promised and what have they actually achieved? In the future this should happen every five years. It also concerns measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Outstanding questions about the newly established climate-related damage fund also need to be clarified.
This article was first published in the “Observer”. You can find more exciting articles at www.beobachter.ch.
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This article was first published in the “Observer”. You can find more exciting articles at www.beobachter.ch.
Current: Free webinar ChatGPT and data protection
We’ll show you how to use AI tools like ChatGPT without giving away too much personal information. The webinar is free and lasts one hour – on November 30, 2023 at 6:00 PM. You can register here.
What does Switzerland want to achieve?
The Swiss delegation has a mandate from the Federal Council and must fundamentally ensure that the 1.5 degree target remains within reach. It is working to ensure decisions are made to phase out coal, oil and gas by 2050. They also want gaps in CO2 reduction2emissions, climate change adaptation and climate finance. Countries with high emissions should be held especially responsible. Third, the federal government wants all states to participate in the newly created loss and damage fund. This is intended to benefit countries particularly hard hit by climate change.
How is Switzerland represented locally?
At the start of the conference with the heads of state, Federal President Alain Berset represents Switzerland. In the second week of the conference, a meeting of all Environment Ministers will take place, in which Federal Councilor Albert Rösti will participate. The actual negotiations are being conducted by a delegation of ten people led by Felix Wertli, head of the international department of the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU). According to Bafu, the delegation consists of experts from the federal government for the various negotiation lines.
The delegation is accompanied by a representative from science and a representative from youth. There are also three civil society representatives: Patrick Hofstetter from WWF (nominated by the Environmental Alliance), Rupa Mukerji from Helvetas (nominated by Alliance Sud) and Owen Bethell from Nestlé (nominated by Economiesuisse). The Bafu does not publish the names of the delegation members because it is afraid that they may be pressured or influenced. “In our view, disclosure of the information provided by individual delegates could also jeopardize the success of the negotiations,” a media spokesperson said. Only the names of the head of delegation and members of civil society will be published.
What does civil society representation hope to achieve?
“I will not try to meet the Pope or King Charles,” said Patrick Hofstetter, a climate protection expert at WWF Switzerland. “I will probably spend a lot of time with negotiators thinking about which international agreements can accelerate greenhouse gas reductions.”
He fears the interim results at the summit will be dismal. All countries have done too little and the challenge has grown as the consequences of global warming become even greater than expected. “I would like countries at the conference to hear clearly how they need to adapt their climate protection pledges and activities to avert the climate crisis.” The decisive lever will be to completely abandon climate-damaging fossil fuels and switch to renewable fuels before 2050, says Hofstetter. To achieve this, it is necessary that countries specify at the climate conference how and by when they will phase out oil, gas and coal.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
