London:
Forcing wealthy nations to honour their UN climate fund pledges this week will “be a stretch”, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted ahead of a Monday meeting with worldwide leaders aiming to do just that.
At the 2009 Copenhagen climate conference, wealthy nations promised to provide annual funding of $one hundred billion from 2020, for poorer nations to counteract the effects of climate transform.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has mentioned progress has been “disappointing”, with creating nations getting $79.6 billion in 2019.
“I think getting it all done this week is going to be a stretch,” Johnson told reporters as he travelled to New York on Sunday to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA), according to PA news agency.
He added that he saw the probabilities of receiving it completed just before COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November as “six out of 10”.
“It’s going to be tough but people need to understand that this is crucial for the world,” he mentioned.
He added that there had been “real signs of progress” from China, the world’s greatest emitter of carbon dioxide, even as COP26 president Alok Sharma mentioned Sunday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had not but confirmed his attendance at the conference.
Johnson will convene Monday’s meeting of leaders along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“We only have a short time left. World leaders must deliver on their climate commitments ahead of @COP26,” Johnson mentioned in a tweet.
The UN climate fund is the principal financing tool for the Paris Agreement, which calls for capping the rise in worldwide temperatures at “well below” two degrees Celsius, and 1.5 C if feasible.
The treaty calls for billions of dollars annually for poor nations currently coping with floods, heatwaves, increasing seas and superstorms made worse by climate transform.
As nicely attending the UNGA, Johnson will pay a visit to the White House on his trip, days soon after the announcement of a new US-Australia-Britain safety pact brought on a deep rift with ally France.
He will also meet Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, identified for his scepticism on climate transform, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Asked if he would challenge Bezos on how a lot tax Amazon pays in the United Kingdom and workers rights, Johnson mentioned he “certainly” would.
“But I will also be congratulating him on his massive forestry initiative. He’s putting a huge amount into planting trees around the world,” he mentioned.
()