With 2016 on track to be the hottest year ever and a super-charged El Niño putting over 60 million lives at the mercy of unpredictable climate shocks, it’s more urgent than ever to help communities adapt to climate change, said Oxfam at the start of the United Nation’s climate conference in Bonn, Germany.
South Africa has today tabled its climate action plan for Paris, committing to put a lid on rising emissions through to 2030. How low they are able to plateau will depend on international support meaning so climate finance will be key to unlock greater ambition, says Oxfam.
The European Commission risks betraying the Paris climate agreement by suggesting that Europe is doing enough to tackle runaway climate change, says Oxfam.
Oxfam said it is vital that governments return to the negotiating table before the new agreement takes effect from 2020 to strengthen pledges of emissions cuts and agree to new finance levels.
Governments must build back better low carbon economies post the pandemic to avoid fuelling the climate crisis, warned Oxfam today ahead of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue on 6-7 May. The virtual meeting will bring together government ministers from across the globe to discuss international climate action ahead of this year’s critical UN summit COP26 in autumn.