Daily Independent (Lagos)
16 June 2010
Lagos — The recent climate talks held in Bonn appeared to have healed some of the wounds left by the great disappointment of the Copenhagen Climate Summit last December. Following two weeks of talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), there is now renewed hope that the building blocks for a global climate deal can be adopted at the next summit in Cancun, Mexico at the end of 2010, says IUCN.
According to a press statement released by signed Pia Drzewinski, Global media relations officer of IUCN, the Bonn climate talks in Bonn opened a new vista for a global climate deal
"Not only did the Copenhagen summit not meet its objective of adopting a legally binding agreement, it also damaged confidence in the whole process," says Claire Parker, head of IUCN's delegation in Bonn. "IUCN very much welcomes the renewed spirit of cooperation and confidence governments showed in Bonn. However, the resumed efforts towards designing the architecture of the new climate regime are yet to yield concrete results."
It is believed that while a final global deal on climate change is not yet in sight, climate action cannot wait.
According to (IUCN), April 2010 was the warmest month on record for land and sea temperature combined. The environmental group noted that much deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions than the ones currently on the table are needed to keep global warming below 2°C. It however warned that failure to do so will lead to irreversible damage to livelihoods and ecosystems on which we all depend.
After positive movements in Copenhagen, REDD (Reducing Deforestation from Forest Degradation and Deforestation) and REDD-plus (conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) did not get the attention it deserved in Bonn.
"The adoption of a legally binding and ambitious international climate change regime is a crucial element in the global fight against climate change," says Ninni Ikkala, IUCN Climate Change Coordinator. "However, IUCN emphasises that action on the ground, in rural communities and cities around the world, can and must be taken now, without waiting for international negotiations to reach a conclusion."
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