"The secretary-general believes that far more needs to be done."United Nations (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon welcomed the outcome of the UN climate conference in Doha, capital of Qatar, and called for more international efforts to limit the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius.
That was learned from a statement issued here by Ban`s spokesman.
"The secretary-general believes that far more needs to be done and he calls on governments, along with businesses, civil society and citizens, to accelerate action on the ground so that the global temperature rise can be limited to 2 degrees Celsius," the statement said.
The United Nations climate talks in Doha on Saturday (8/12) adopted a package of drafts for the low-ambitious second period of Kyoto Protocol and weak commitments on climate finance after overnight negotiations on differences between developed and developing countries.
The closure of the two-week meeting in the Qatari capital was delayed for almost a whole day as diplomats from more than 190 countries pressed for any small progress that can be reached.
According to the conference president Abdullah bin Hamad al- Atiiyah, the new agreement would apply from 2013 till 2020.
The Kyoto Protocol is the only UN plan that obliges developed nations to cut carbon emissions. Its first commitment period expires at the end of the year. It is a vital step towards a new global UN deal to be agreed upon in 2015 and to enter into force in 2020.
Ban said in the statement that "he will increase his personal involvement in efforts to raise ambition, scale-up climate financing, and engage world leaders as we now move towards the global agreement in 2015."
However, no tougher emission reduction goals were announced by the developed countries in Doha.
The European Union sticks to its target of 20-percent reduction, reiterating that a further step to 30 percent would require other developed countries` commitment to comparable emission reductions. Its bargaining position was weakened because it has reportedly met its targets of 20 percent eight years ahead of time and has no plans to put more ambitious cuts on the table.
More disappointingly, the United States said it could only cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 from the 2005 levels, which corresponds to a cut of 3 percent to 4 percent below the 1990 levels. Australia proposed a 0.5-percent emission cut from 1990.
(U.C003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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