About 200 nations adopt global climate action plan
Negotiators agree on rulebook that allows nations to take tougher steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Negotiators from nearly 200 nations have agreed to a deal that brings the landmark Paris Agreement to life, triggering praise but also concern that the outcome of marathon talks in Poland is not ambitious enough to save the world from the ravages of climate change.
After three years of hard bargaining, negotiators sealed a complex rule book that enables all nations to take progressively tougher steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions that are heating up the planet and causing more extreme weather.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli told The Straits Times at the conference venue that the adoption of the rule book was a historic moment - one that was especially significant for Singapore, which will be wrapping up its Year of Climate Action at the end of this month.
He said: "We bookmarked the year with the passing of a carbon tax, which showed our responsiveness and commitment to reducing emissions by industries.
"This is a fitting end to the year, with the rule book adopted by all the countries that ratified the Paris Agreement."
The UN and talks president, Mr Michal Kurtyka, who is also State Secretary of Poland's Ministry of Energy, praised the hard-won deal that at some points during the two-week talks in Katowice, southern Poland, looked like it was not going to be agreed.
Mr Kurtyka told the final plenary: "The overall impact of this package is positive to the world. Through this package, you have made a thousand little steps forward together."
UN climate chief, Ms Patricia Espinosa, said: "This is an excellent achievement. The multilateral system has delivered a solid result."
The 133-page action plan, or the Katowice Rulebook, sets out a single system for countries to make emissions cuts under national climate plans and how those plans can be regularly reported, measured, scrutinised and progressively ramped up.
But some criticised it as lacking ambition and lacking clarity on climate finance for developing countries.
Mr Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy for the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, said he would give the rule book a "gentleman's C".
Ms Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change, said: "No one is entirely happy with this rule book, but it is an important step."
The talks, called COP24, were meant to wrap up on Friday but went 30 hours into overtime.
Exhausted delegates cheered and gave a standing ovation to the COP presidency when the gavel went down to adopt the deal around 5am Singapore time yesterday.
But the hard work begins with nations now committed to carrying out their national climate plans to cut emissions and progressively strengthening these over time as part of a collective effort to try to limit the threat from rising sea levels, more intense storms, damage to coral reefs and severe droughts that ruin crops.
A key test will be the emissions cuts in the next round of national climate pledges for 2020 under the Paris Agreement, with nations expected to unveil their intentions next year.
"Now we need all countries to commit to raising climate ambition before 2020, because everyone's future is at stake," said Mr Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, leader of WWF's Climate and Energy Practice and president of COP20 in Lima in 2014.
FOR MORE, READ THE STRAITS TIMES TODAY
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now