Oxfam reacts to latest draft texts at UNFCCC COP20 Meeting in Lima, Peru

A series of new draft texts of the agreements being worked on at the UN climate conference in Lima have just been released this morning. In response to these draft texts Jan Kowalzig, Policy Advisor for Oxfam said:

“The new texts reflect that countries have spent the first week restating their old positions leaving most of the key debates unresolved. Ministers must urgently inject energy into the process this week so that they can lay the groundwork for ambitious action in Paris in 2015. We are pleased to see in the text a proposal from African and Latin American countries calling on developed countries to demonstrate their current progress to meet the $100 billion promise and provide a detailed roadmap on how funds will be ramped up over the next few years. It is critical that this proposal remains at the end of the week. 

“The time for posturing is over; it is time to make a deal. Lima may be the last chance we have to break the standoff that has prevented adequate climate action for decades. Negotiators can make history this week, but it is up to them to lead, not stall. 

“Among the core remaining issues are how the agreement will differentiate between countries to determine their responsibility to act, how country’s initial commitments, to be announced in 2015, will be assessed for their adequacy and fairness, how financial support for poor nations will be included in the new agreement, and how developed countries will meet their promise to mobilize $100 billion by 2020 in funding to support climate action in poor countries.”