http://www.rtcc.org/pwc-doha-experience-proves-2015-treaty-agreement-will-be-tough/

 

Global consultancy PwC warn the difficulties experienced agreeing on a series of texts at the Doha climate summit demonstrate how hard it will be to achieve a global treaty in 2015.

 

The COP18 talks concluded 26 hours after their scheduled finish, with conference President Al Attiyah closing the 2012 talks despite vehement protests from Russia.

Reflecting on the decisions, Jonathan Grant, Director of sustainability & climate change at PwC said they had achieved little more than expected.

"The UN climate change negotiations are still on the rails, but it will only get harder as we get closer to 2015. Doha sends a clear signal that it will be very difficult to agree a meaningful climate treaty in 2015," he said.

Grant's colleague Celine Herweijer also warned that greater assurances over finance and emission reduction targets will be expected next year, as pressure builds ahead of the proposed legally binding treaty in just over two years time.

"Money talks at the climate negotiations and finance as always became a critical part of the negotiations," she said.

"Countries have been called on to submit plans on how they plan to reach the $100 billion per year target by 2020. While that didn't feel ambitious enough to developing nations, it was enough to prevent a derailing. Next year we can expect developing countries to demand more."

"The failure of climate negotiators in Doha to agree levels of finance to combat climate change and to delay a decision on this issue until 2013 is disappointing," said Stephanie Pfeifer, Executive Director of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change.

"Reliable, long-term policy frameworks which help scale up private capital alongside government finance are essential to tackle climate change."