Cancun - A step towards a prosperous low carbon future

MANILA, Philippines - When delegates assembled in Cancun, Mexico on 29th November for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, expectations were not high. Fresh in their minds was the memory of disappointed hopes in Copenhagen this time last year. But in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Cancun Agreement was adopted, to the delight and relief of over 190 countries who believe in the UN process and the importance of a global deal to tackle climate change. The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague said “This is an excellent result, not only for our efforts to tackle climate change which are central to our collective prosperity and security, but also more broadly for restoring confidence in multilateralism. In an interdependent world we can find common solutions to common problems.”

The Cancun Agreement covers progress on a wide range of measures. Decisions were reached on reducing deforestation, bringing details of both developed and developing countries’ actions to reduce emissions into the UN system and developing systems for measuring, reporting and verifying emission reductions and actions in line with countries’ commitments. The conference also agreed the establishment of a Green Climate Fund to support policies and activities in developing countries.

These decisions provide a solid foundation for further work in the years ahead. For the first time, there is an international commitment to ‘deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions’ to hold the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius. This includes processes for adopting targets for peaking emissions as soon as possible, and substantially reducing them by 2050.

But the most important aspect of the Cancun Agreement is that it sends a very clear and positive message: the UN process is back on track, and with renewed momentum. The international community has sent a clear signal of our intention to tackle climate change. Governments and business will be emboldened to take the action needed to prevent dangerous climate change threatening our global security and prosperity.

While we work towards Durban, and the ultimate goal of a legally binding global agreement on climate change, the UK’s coalition government will continue to press forward at home. We intend to demonstrate how a successful and prosperous low-carbon economy can be developed in the UK and EU, providing employment, exports and energy security — and reducing emissions. An Energy Bill was presented to Parliament last week which would radically transform the energy efficiency of Britain’s leaky housing stock as well as help employ up to 250,000 people in the next decade. And later this week, Chris Huhne, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, will publish plans for far reaching reforms to our electricity markets to incentivise business to provide the billions that needs to be invested into green energy production.

Furthermore, the UK remains committed to helping developing countries achieve a low carbon future that reduces poverty. We are doing this through bilateral programs and major international climate funds such as the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), which has been accessed by many countries including the Philippines. We expect the CTF to provide 18 million people with low carbon and affordable transport, and also provide over 12 megawatts of clean electricity and thousands of jobs to local communities — enough energy to supply the equivalent of almost 16 million households.

Cancun represents a triumph for the spirit of international co-operation in tackling an international threat. There remains much to do in the run-up to the 2011 climate conference in Durban and beyond, but given the outcome of Cancun, we can approach it with renewed confidence. 

(Colin Crorkin is the Chargé d’ Affaires at the British Embassy Manila. For more information on financial options available for climate action in developing countries visit http://www.climate financeoptions.org/cfo/index.php)