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Science & Environment

UN battle looms over finance as nations submit climate plans

By Matt McGrathEnvironment correspondent, BBC News

2 October 2015 Science & Environment

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Divisions over money between rich and poor countries re-emerged as nations submittedtheir plans for tackling climate change to the UN.

India, the last big emitter to publish its contribution, said it would need $2.5 trillion to meet itstargets.

The Philippines said that without adequate climate compensation, their cuts in emissionswouldn't happen.

The UN says the plans increase the likelihood of a strong global treaty.

148 countries, out of a total of 196, have met a UN deadline for submitting a plan, termed anIntended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC).

Getty Images


These INDCs cover close to 90% of global emissions of carbon dioxide. The commitments willform the centrepiece of a new global agreement on climate change that nations hope to agree inParis in December.

Independent analysts at the Climate Action Tracker said that the plans, when added up, meantthe world was on track for temperature rises of 2.7 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.

This is above the 2 degree target generally acceptedas the threshold for dangerous climate change. But itis a significant improvement on a previousassessment of 3.1 degrees, made when fewer planshad been submitted.

India's contribution, which promised to reduce thecarbon intensity of their emissions but didn't committo peaking their CO2, drew praise from around the

I am telling the world that the billfor climate action for the world isnot just $100bn, it is in trillions ofdollars per yearPrakash Javadekar, India's environment


to peaking their CO2, drew praise from around theworld.

"It's highly significant that India is joining the ranks ofso many other developed and developing countries in putting serious commitments on the tableahead of the Paris climate talks," said former UK environment minister Richard Benyon MP.

Scary numbers

But many environmentalists were critical, saying the plan would see a "phenomenal increase" inthe use of coal.

"We're especially disappointed to not see a concrete renewable target," said Pujarini Sen fromGreenpeace India.

"They are talking about 40% of electric power coming from non-fossil sources by 2030. This isnot 40% renewable energy, it includes nukes, it includes large dams."

The plan says that India's transition will cost $2.5 trillion, a "scary number" according to oneobserver.

It is unclear how much of this money will come from India's own resources and how much fromthe international community and investment.

In their written submission, India's proposed climate actions appear to be contingent ongetting much of this money from richer countries: "The successful implementation of INDC iscontingent upon an ambitious global agreement including additional means of implementation tobe provided by developed country parties."

Developed countries have committed to $100bn funding for developing countries to deal withclimate change by 2020, but India's environment minister suggested the bill was going to a lot

minister


bigger than that.

"I am telling the world that the bill for climate action for the world is not just $100bn, it is in trillionsof dollars per year," said Prakash Javadekar.

"Countries will take up their own responsibility but the world which is historically responsible forcarbon emissions, what we are suffering today, the climate change, they must at least walk thetalk on $100bn."

Some observers believe that India and others are using the INDCs to begin the negotiationprocess and to highlight how important money is, especially to developing countries.

"The thing that what has the least clarity in this process is the finance issue," said Liz Gallagherfrom environmental think-tank E3G.

"They are kind of using the INDCs to really deliver that message. It's a big prod to the developedcountries to wake up because they haven't sorted this yet."

Several countries in their submissions also pointed to the question of loss and damage.

This issue has become highly contentious in recent years as developing countries havesought some form of compensation for the ongoing impacts of a changing climate. The richernations have strongly resisted this idea, fearing a legal liability.

The Philippines was quite clear in linking their plans to slash emissions by 70% by 2030 togetting money for loss and damage.

"The Philippine INDC assumes that loss and damages from climate change and extreme eventswill not require diversion of substantial resources for rehabilitation and reconstruction therebyadversely affecting the country's capacity to meet national development targets," they said intheir submission.


Other countries have put a figure in their INDCs on the amount of loss and damage they havesuffered in recent years. Serbia, for example, says that in the period between 2000 and 2015they suffered losses of 5bn euros thanks to floods and droughts.

This focus on loss and damage means that it is likely to feature heavily in the negotiations inParis.

"There are some legal red lines for many countries, including the US, around the form ofcompensation and what that would mean," said Liz Gallagher.

"But as a rational and a political choice, loss and damage has to be at the heart of the agreementand that is going to be an important challenge."

Negotiators will meet in Bonn later this month to review a draft of a new deal ahead of the Parismeeting a month later.

Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattmcgrathbbc

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