France committed to securing legally binding climate agreement
The French government has re-affirmed its commitment to helping the international community finalise a "legally binding" climate change agreement at the United Nations’ summit in Paris in 2015
The French government has re-affirmed its commitment to helping the international community finalise a "legally binding" climate change agreement at the United Nations’ summit in Paris in 2015.
Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, attended the Annual French Ambassadors Conference in Paris last week and said: "We need to get a legally binding agreement. This is the first goal and not an easy one. Afterwards, every country will make pledges, there will also be essential finance dimensions, such as the Green Climate Fund and carbon pricing."
Fabius is expected to have a central role at the UNFCCC’s twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21/ CMP 11) climate change conference.
The ambitions to seal a legally binding deal has raised the potential of disagreement with the U.S. with the New York Times reporting that the Obama administration is seeking a non-binding international agreement to avoid the necessity of securing Congressional approval.
The EU, however, is committed to delivering a legally-binding treaty and some UN member states want sanctions imposed on the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide who will not sign up.
Ségolène Royal, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, also attended last weeks conference and citied France’s proposed Energy Bill and ambitious renewable energy plans to underline France's commitment to low carbon development ahead of COP21.
President Francois Hollande (pictured above right) confirmed that he will attend the UN’s Climate Summit 2014, hosted by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, on 23 September in New York.