Reports from Marrakech suggest that the first week of Cop 22 negotiations has not produced significant results. The spectre of Trump looms over the conference.
At Cop 22, the twenty-second United Nations world climate conference, the first week of negotiations has come to a close. While awaiting the arrival of heads of state and government, expected tomorrow, the first phase of dialogue on the implementation of the Agreement reached in Paris a year ago has been marked above all by the shock of Donald Trump's election to the United States presidency: a man who has repeatedly treated climate change as a joke and who has declared his intention to torpedo the commitments made in France for the protection of the planet.
Fabius : Trump peut dénoncer l'accord climat… par libezap
In Marrakech, the Chinese delegation – according to the Afp agency – chose to remain cautious, explaining that "we must wait and see what measures the new United States government will take. The Paris Agreement, in any case, reflects the common will of numerous nations." "Saudi Arabia confirms its national objectives in terms of limiting greenhouse gas emissions," a Saudi negotiator also stated. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the small island states, Maldivian Thoriq Ibrahim, said he was convinced that "President Trump will reach the conclusion that seriously addressing the climate issue is in the interests of the United States."
More explicit was France's Environment Minister, Ségolène Royal, who said Trump's election "creates concern." Cop 21 president Laurent Fabius, however, recalled in an interview with the broadcaster France Inter that "a country that has ratified the Paris Agreement can only withdraw three years after it enters into force, and for that decision to take effect a further year must pass." By which point, Trump's term will already be over.
The fact remains, however, that if the United States does not adopt policies aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions on its own territory, the commitment of other nations may not be enough. Last Saturday, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salaheddine Mezouar, who presides over Cop 22, said he had appreciated the "spirit of cooperation" established in the working groups during the first week of negotiations. The African nation's environment minister nonetheless admitted that discussions have so far failed to yield significant progress either on the question of adaptation to climate change or on the issue of financing. Good news has meanwhile come from Australia, whose government announced it will ratify the Paris Agreement.