Extract from ABC News
Updated
The head of the United Nations has warned that
humanity has never faced a greater challenge than climate change as
world leaders gathered in New York a high-level climate summit.
In his opening address to the UN talks, secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon warned the dreams of humanity hung in the balance."To ride this storm we need all hands on deck," he said.
"The human environmental and financial cost of climate change is fast becoming unbearable."
US president Barack Obama said despite the present threats of terrorism, instability and disease, climate change would "define the contours of the century more dramatically than any other" issue.
"This challenge demands our ambition. Our children deserve such ambition," he said.
"Today I call on all countries to join us - not next year or the year after that but right now - because no nation can meet this global threat alone."
The meeting is designed to speed up negotiations for a new global climate agreement to replace the Kyoto protocol and avoid catastrophic climate change.
It is the largest leaders' climate meeting since the 2009 Copenhagen summit, which was largely seen as a failure because it did not result in a binding agreement to reduce emissions.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop went through the direct action policy that the Australian Government is employing at the moment.
She said Australia was balancing economic growth with climate change.
"In taking action at home, we are recognising Australia is responsible for around 1.5 per cent of global emissions and that all countries need to act, especially the world's biggest emitters," she said at the summit.
"Australia will consider its post-2020 target as part of the review we will conduct in 2015 on Australia's international targets and settings.
Ms Bishop said Australia was not a large emitter and said it was up to the major industrial economies to do their bit.
"This review will consider the comparable actions of others including the major economies and Australia's trading partners," she said.
"We are striking the responsible balance of safeguarding economic growth while taking action on climate change."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is due to arrive in New York for the leaders' meeting later today, chose not to attend the climate summit.
He was not alone – the leaders of India, Canada, Russia and China did not attend either.
UK to fight 'perverse fossil fuel subsidies'
UK prime minister David Cameron said governments needed to give businesses certainty to invest in low-carbon technologies."That means fighting against the economically and environmentally perverse fossil fuel subsidies which distort markets and rip off taxpayers," he said.
"We've said no to any new coal without carbon capture and storage [technology attached].
Country commitments
- Barbados: 29 per cent of electricity will be green by 2029
- Denmark: Aims to be fossil fuel free by 2050
- Georgia: Aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050
- Ireland: Reduce greenhouse gases by 80 per cent by 2050
- Mexico: More than one third of electricity-generating capacity
- Ethiopia: Zero net emissions by 2025
- France: One billion USD to the green climate fund over the next few years
- Iceland: Commitment to become an entirely fossil free economy
- Korea: Next year it will become the first Asian country with a national carbon trading scheme
- Chile: 45 per cent of energy to be green by 2025
- Finland: Phasing out coal in power stations by 2025
- Monaco: Goal to reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050
- Costa Rica: 100 per cent of energy to be green
- Indonesia: Will cut emissions by 26 per cent by 2020 and says that will rise to 40 per cent with international help
- Brunei: 63 per cent reduction in energy consumption by 2035
- EU: Committed to cutting emissions by 80 to 95 per cent by 2050
- UK: On track to cut emissions by 80 per cent by 2050
- China: Reiterated commitment to cut carbon intensity by 40 to 45 per cent of 2005 levels by 2020, committed $US6 million to advance South-South cooperation on climate change
Source: United Nations Twitter @Climate2014Live
"[The UK is] on track to cut emissions by 80 per cent by 2050."
However, tackling the global impact of climate change can only be met if big emitters vow to take responsibility.
The United States is the world's biggest economy and the second biggest emitter, and Mr Obama stressed the importance of taking the lead on climate change.
"We recognise our role in creating this problem – we recognise our responsibly to combat it," he said.
"None of this is without controversy. In each of our countries, there are interests that will be resistant to action, and in each country there is a suspicion that if we act and other countries don't that we will be at an economic disadvantage.
"But we have to lead."
Mr Obama said every country would need to pull its weight.
"We can only succeed combating climate change if we are joined in the effort by every nation. Nobody gets a pass," he said.
"There does not have to be a conflict in a sound environment and strong economic growth – over the past eight years we have reduced total carbon pollution by more than any nation on Earth. But we have to do more."
China, the world's largest emitter, reiterated its goal to cut carbon intensity by 40 to 45 per cent of 2005 levels by 2020.
"China is ready to work with other countries, shoulder responsibilities and build a better future for mankind," Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli said.
"We will announce post-2020 actions on climate change as soon as we can to markedly reduce carbon intensity, increase the share of non-fossil fuels and raise the forest stock.
"As a major developing country, China will make an even greater effort to address climate change and take on international responsibilities that are commensurate with our national conditions and actual capabilities."
Scientists and celebrities have their say
The message from scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was clear.Its chair, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, said time was running out.
"How on Earth can we leave our children with a world like this?" he said.
"I'm not sure if I could stand before you if the threats of climate change had no solutions, but they do.
"We already have the means to build a better, more sustainable world.
"The solutions are many and allow for continued economic development."
He maintained that renewable energy was a real option.
"Half of the world's new electricity generating capacity in 2012 came from renewables," he said.
Hollywood celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio made an impassioned call to the leaders in the room.
"I pretend for a living - but you do not," he said.
"The people have made their voices heard [at Sunday's climate marches].
"The momentum will not stop, but now is your turn. The time to address humanity's greatest challenge is now."
Roadmap to a new global climate agreement
The next formal round of talks between nations will be in Peru later this year at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.Countries will present their plans for emission reductions by March next year and negotiations will continue with the view of having a binding commitment agreed to in Paris next year.
All countries are determined to avoid a repeat of the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks.
Economist Nick Stern, a former adviser to the British government on climate change, said he did not believe there would be a repeat of Copenhagen.
"The learning that's been done in the meantime about technology, about ways of doing this, has been very strong and the wish to collaborate has grown stronger," Lord Stern told the ABC on Tuesday.
But the chairman of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics questioned if the overall scale of commitment would be enough.
"That's my biggest worry," he said.
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