- Title: Trump win raises fears over climate change goals
- Date: 9th November 2016
- Summary: MARRAKESH, MOROCCO (NOVEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS WALKING IN CONFERENCE SITE EXTERIOR OF PLENARY HALL EXTERIOR OF UNITED STATES PAVILION UNITED STATES PAVILION BACKDROP READING IN ENGLISH: "U.S CENTER 2016 MARRAKECH" U.S. FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLICY DIRECTOR AT U.S. CLIMATE NETWORK, TINA JOHNSON, SAYING: "I think if we have a scenario where the action that he takes is contrary to where we feel it needs to be going, it will impact us, I mean, of course, because it means we have to do more work to make sure that he actually is moving in the direction that we need him to move in. That is part of a role as a civil society. Our job is to ensure that the folks that are representing us, represent us. So, I'm not worried, but aware that our work is cut out for us. Like this is not going to be a walk in the park, but we're up for the challenge and we think we have history, momentum and the world on our side, because every country is acting on it. Every civil society, organisation throughout the world that works on climate is engaged in this and we're not going to stop doing that because we have a president that may or may not agree." PROTEST AGAINST TRUMP VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING SIGN READING (English) "PEOPLES PRESIDENTIAL TO DO LIST" (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREENPEACE CHINA POLICY ADVISOR, LI SHUOM SAYING: "Between the U.S. and China, now climate change has been elevated into not only an environmental issue but a geopolitical one between the most important two countries in the world. We urge the next U.S. president to take that into consideration and to be mindful of the very delicate agreement it has reached with China in terms of U.S. and China doing bilateral agreements and to honour the commitments and the targets it has made with China and also in the Paris agreement." PARTICIPANTS WALKING IN CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAPAN DELEGATION CHIEF, SHIGERU USHIO, SAYING: "But U.S cannot, you know get away from this treaty for four years." PARTICIPANTS WALKING HEAD NEGOTIATOR AT COP22, AZIZ MEKOUAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD NEGOTIATOR AT COP22 AND FORMER MOROCCAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. 2002-2011, AZIZ MEKOUAR, SAYING: "People are here at COP22. Everyone is working very hard because we have an emergency in the world. There is climate change and there are the effects of climate change and I think everybody is committed to address the problems coming from climate change. So I think at least in COP22 there is this very good will, this mobilisation to go forward to work, to implement the Paris agreement." COP22 TENT SIGN READING IN ENGLISH: "MARRAKECH 2016"
- Embargoed: 24th November 2016 18:45
- Keywords: Morocco climate change reaction U.S. election Trump Marrakesh
- Location: MARRAKESH, MOROCCO
- City: MARRAKESH, MOROCCO
- Country: Morocco
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00157Q801Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Donald Trump's election as U.S. president triggered fears that his view that global warming is a hoax might lead other nations to scale back ambitions under a landmark climate change deal, while renewable energy stocks fell on world markets.
Activists at U.N. climate summit in Morocco, however, pledged on Wednesday (November 9) that the election would not derail global action to curb climate change and deal with its worsening consequences.
"We think we have history, momentum and the world on our side because every country is acting on it. Every civil society, organisation throughout the world that works on climate is engaged in this and we're not going to stop doing that because we have a president that may or may not agree," said Policy Director at U.S. Climate Network, Tina Johnson.
Trump has threatened to tear up the Paris accord for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, worked out in two decades of negotiations by countries as diverse as China, Pacific islands and OPEC oil producers.
"Between the U.S. and China, now climate change has been elevated into not only an environmental issue, but a geopolitical one between the most important two countries in the world. We urge the next U.S. president to take that into consideration," said Greenpeace China Policy Advisor, Li Shuom.
The pact came into effect last week, more than three years ahead of schedule, as the United States and around 100 other countries ratified it in advance of the Marrakesh meeting - some with an eye on Trump's potential election.
But experts warned the $3 billion the United States has pledged to the international Green Climate Fund, which aims to transform the world's energy systems, curb emissions and help the vulnerable adapt to climate shifts, could now be at risk. The United States has so far handed over only a sixth of that money, and a potential refusal to deliver the rest would leave a gaping hole in developing-country efforts to tackle climate change, which depend on international assistance. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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