Hollande warns of ‘obstacles’ to COP21 UN climate deal
French President Francois Hollande said on Monday there were many obstacles to reaching a historic global climate deal at a UN summit in Paris in December
French President Francois Hollande said on Monday there were many obstacles to reaching a historic global climate deal at a UN summit in Paris in December.
Hollande raised particular concerns about the strategy and approach of emerging nations such as India.
In a speech on green growth, delivered at the Elysee palace, Hollande said: “Everybody thinks this is a meeting where we will easily find an agreement. I don’t think so. The more I get into the preparations for this conference, the more I see obstacles.”
Experts say that plans submitted by 34 nations so far, for greenhouse gas emissions reduction beyond 2020, would keep the world dangerously on track for warming well above the limits agreed with the UN.
The 28-nation European Union as well as the United States, Russia, Mexico, Switzerland, Norway and Gabon have submitted their plans to the UN, meant as the building blocks of a global deal to be agreed at the Paris summit.
Hollande said: “Big countries have made rather good commitments, the Europeans especially made a contribution that honours Europe. The United States said it was now a priority for them.”
But the French President voiced his concern about large emerging countries including India.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated earlier in April that he would not bow to international pressure to commit to carbon emissions reductions.
Hollande continued: “We have to show them it’s in their interest and that they can, if we share the technologies, reach a certain form of energy autonomy too.”
March 31 was the first, informal deadline for the strategies to be submitted to the UN and most nations failed to meet it.