- Title: Political leaders can either act properly or be climate talk spoilers - Fabius
- Date: 11th December 2018
- Summary: KATOWICE, POLAND (DECEMBER 11, 2018) (REUTERS) EVENT AT EUROPEAN UNION PAVILION EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER OF ENERGY MIGUEL ARIAS CANETE SEATED WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF PANEL AUDIENCE AND OFFICIAL ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER OF ENERGY MIGUEL ARIAS CANETE SAYING: "Up to now it's Tuesday and the minister have not been involved. We are doing now what we call shuttle diplomacy with ministers and co-facilitators going to see the regional groups in time to test the atmosphere, so we still haven't finished all the medical tests on the patient." SIGN READING IN ENGLISH, "EUROPEAN UNION SIDE EVENTS COP24" (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER OF ENERGY MIGUEL ARIAS CANETE SAYING: "I am very comfortable, we have the most ambitious targets of all the parties here. We are the only ones with have all the legislature, so when they tell me do have ambition ... and we are a story of success because under the Kyoto protocol we had binding targets, we have over-shot our target without, we have reduced emissions by 22 percent , the GDP grew by 58 per cent, the projection for 2020 is that we will be reducing our emissions by 26 per cent." CANETE ADDRESSING EU SIDE EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER OF ENERGY MIGUEL ARIAS CANETE SAYING: "The just transition is a very important chapter because it clear that we are going to de-carbonise our economy. Not only the Polish. All the European Union is going to be de-carbonised." DELEGATES AND OBSERVERS IN MAIN HALL AND STAIRS READING IN ENGLISH, "WELCOME TO POLAND" SOLAR IMPULSE PILOT BERTRAND PICCARD POSING ON STAIRCASE WITH HIS WIFE, MICHELLE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PRACTISING A DANCE IN THE MAIN HALL VARIOUS OF PRINCE ALBERT OF MONACO AT A SIDE EVENT AT COP24 NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM PEOPLE PASSING BY VENUE LOGO ON WALL
- Embargoed: 25th December 2018 13:32
- Keywords: climate talks Laurent Fabius Miguel Arias Canete COP24 UN climate talks Katowice Poland
- Location: KATOWICE, POLAND
- City: KATOWICE, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Environment,Climate Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0039AI47D3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France's Laurent Fabius, who presided over the 2015 Paris Agreement, said political leaders could either take a positive role and act "properly" taking action on climate change or be "spoilers," as the COP24 negotiations enter their second week (Dec 2-14).
"I beg you in Katowice to write a successful story and to be faithful to the letter and the spirit of Paris, that is to say to act better, faster and together. You have four days to finish the job. It is short, but it is vital," Fabius said on Tuesday (December 11) before the national speeches scheduled for the afternoon.
The talks are billed as the most important U.N. conference since the Paris 2015 deal on climate change are in their crucial final week in Poland's Silesian coal mining district.
EU Commissioner for Energy Miguel Arias Canete said that until today there had been no ministerial involvement as delegations tried to hammer out an agreement.
"We are doing now what we call shuttle diplomacy with ministers and co-facilitators going to see the regional groups in time to test the atmosphere, so we still haven't finished all the medical tests on the patient," he said ahead of side event organised by the European Union.
The aim is to meet an end-of-year deadline for agreeing a rule book on how to enforce action to limit further warming of the planet.
Arias Canete said he was very comfortable with Europe's position and expected it to be de-carbonised in the future.
"I am very comfortable, we have the most ambitious targets of all the parties here," he said. "We have reduced emissions by 22 percent, the GDP grew by 58%, the projection for 2020 is that we will be reducing our emissions by 26%." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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