The objectives for the fight against climate change will be discussed in Bangkok. The main obstacles are to set the global warming rate at 1.5 ° or 2 ° Celsius as the limit and to distribute the money among the developing countries to apply mitigation policies against climate change. The success of the COP24 to be held in Katowice in December would depend on these negotiations.

By José Díaz

Servindi, September 03, 2018.- This Tuesday, September 4, will be a key date for negotiations that seek to implement the goals of the Paris Agreement. Three months after the COP24 where the objectives of this pact will be signed, the city of Bangkok will be this week the headquarters of an intermediate meeting where it is expected to advance in negotiations involving more than 190 countries.

Among the most important points to discuss in Bangkok is to set the global warming limit for the next decade. Until a few months ago the debate was between those who set the 2 ° C as a goal and 1.5 ° C, the latter being the proposal endorsed by most scientists specializing in climate change.

In addition, will be discussed the support of the richest countries into the $ 100 billion fund that will be invested in the poorest countries to implement policies to mitigate climate change. At the previous pre-COP24 summit held in Bonn (Germany) the main obstacle was precisely the money to be delivered by the most developed countries, something that is expected to be overcome in Bangkok.

For the time being, the developing countries, who must allocate most of their investment to public funds, keep waiting to find out how the most developed countries will distribute the money.

More ambitious goals

The area of highest concern in this debate to be held in Bangkok remains the goal set for global warming. In recent months several scientific reports have shown that the current emission values will cause an increase of 3 ° C in relation to the pre-industrial era, a scenario that would affect millions of people vulnerable to climate change.

It is for this reason that in recent months the proposal to establish the goal of 1.5 ° C has become stronger, something that has not been to the liking of a certain part of the countries subscribed to the Paris Agreement. To that is added the political uncertainty that generated in 2017 the announcement of Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the pact, which has been reflected in a decrease in the flow of money for the Green Fund.

"They say 'if we, the poorest countries and most affected by climate change, are able to agree with the target of 1.5ºC, there is no excuse for the richest countries not to do the same," said Wael Hmaidan, executive director of Climate Action Network.

The truth is that, in the absence of progress in the coming days on more aggressive goals for the Paris Agreement, the COP24 objectives to be held in December in Katowice (Poland) could be a premature failure.

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— Servindi (@Servindi) 30 de agosto de 2018