Climate disruption
Paris, December 4, 2014
(…)
Q. – What are you expecting from the Lima Climate Conference?
THE MINISTER – Three watchwords: urgency, ambition, hope.
The urgency is the issue of climate disruption. Scientists and everyday observation show that there’s increasingly serious climate disruption due to what are known as greenhouse gases. If we don’t reverse the trend, it’s going to be extremely serious, i.e. increasing hot weather…
Q. – Is it possible [to reverse the trend]?
THE MINISTER – It’s possible, provided that greenhouse gases are limited, and this is a matter of urgency; it can’t wait 50 years. Once greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere you can’t get them back, they accumulate. This means that sea levels rise, it’s incredibly hot, there are climate extremes, it’s very difficult to feed ourselves, there’s migration and insecurity. So it’s a matter of the utmost urgency!
The second watchword is ambition. In Lima this year, and above all in Paris next year, the goal is to reach a global agreement, 195 countries saying what we’re going to do to prevent this temperature rise, with practical measures in the various industries etc.
The third watchword is hope. Until now, there have generally been failures. You may remember Copenhagen… Here, there’s a different trend – China and the United States, the two biggest polluters, have committed themselves. Europe has made a commitment. In France, there’s the energy transition act. So we’re hoping that in Paris, where the biggest diplomatic conference ever organized by France will be held, we’re heading for success; we hope so, we’re working on it. It’s very difficult but I’m making every effort to succeed. (…)./.