The COP21/CMP11 are being seen as the avenue for providing solutions to the Climate Agreement. France as the host country will be presiding at the 21st Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 21). It is expected to be a crucial gathering of countries as it needs to achieve a new international agreement on the climate applicable to all countries with the aim of keeping global warming below 2 degree C.
France will be playing a leadership role within the international context to ensure convergence and to facilitate the search for consensus by the United Nations as well as European Union which has a major role to play in the climate negotiations.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs has emphasised that COP 21 is to ensure that the world is mobilised and that an Agreement is reached in December in Paris. An international team of experts on climate change at a recent round table were of the view that the climate of the today may not be the climate of the future. They believe that the time for talking is over and it is time for action. They also stressed that the human contribution made so much impact to cause the climate change. They quoted that the different time series have shown distortion in the climatic situations of the world.
Segolene Royal, the French Finance Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, in her message while introducing COP 21 in Paris in December said that all companies and communities need to be actively involved in the process and that the government needed to facilitate the process in which people become involve in the efficient use of the natural resources. COP 21 is an important event for the French and it is a national challenge to make a success of it. It is also for them to show to the world their commitment to protect the environment and play active role in ensuring that the global agreement is signed in December in Paris. It is a pride to the French that after Kyoto Protoco l was signed in Japan there is no other major global agreement that all parties will agree to and in this regard everything must be done to see that the ground is well watered for a meeting of that magnitude.
There is a great lesson in diplomacy that the arrangement of this conference is putting across especially where mobilisation is an important element in global issues.
Christian Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, in her message said that this is a turning point in the climate diplomacy as governments move into negotiation, the parties must ensure durable, robust agreement that is good for governments, business and global community. She urged all nations to be well prepared for the COP21, start the mobilisation of all segments of the society now and all see to it that we commit ourselves to make the most out of the Paris meeting.
We believe that the world is at a point that climate change is no longer a side issue but a collective challenge to all of us to join hands in addressing it. It is our position that for us in Nigeria we as governments, private sector, civil society and the public need to work together and support the committee set up by the Minister of Environment to come up with a position that will help in ensuring that Nigeria ‘s interest is well reflected in our document to and activities in the COP 21. .
By Prince Lekan Fadina (Executive Director, Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development, Management and Environment (CISME). (He is a member of the Nigeria Negotiation Team, Africa Group of Negotiators and member, AGN Finance Co-ordination Committee). Website: www.cismenigeria.com. Email: cismevision@gmail.com. Twitter: @cismevision
