Washington, D.C. – Today, as the U.N. climate talks continue in Warsaw, Poland, the Center for American Progress released a new analysis on the status of the negotiations. The analysis finds that progress on important issues under discussion this week is being compromised by controversial issues including climate finance and addressing loss and damage from severe weather events and slow-onset events such as sea-level rise.
“Contentious issues are stealing the spotlight in Warsaw and diverting attention from the most important tasks at hand: keeping countries on track for a strong agreement in 2015 and reducing emissions before a global agreement takes effect,” said Rebecca Lefton, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress, who is on the ground in Warsaw. “The U.N. climate talks in Warsaw should drive countries to focus on global warming at home. Negotiators must work for the most ambitious actions across all countries and achieve greenhouse gas reductions necessary for avoiding the worst impacts of global warming.”
The climate negotiations should focus on the following issues:
- The formation of a new global agreement to be finalized in 2015 and take effect in 2020
- A timetable and process for committing to national emissions reduction targets in the run-up to 2015
- Strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions before the end of the decade, especially given the large gap between current emissions reduction targets through 2020 and the reductions that are needed to keep global warming within 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels
CAP experts are available to speak on this topic, both on the ground in Warsaw and in D.C.:
- Peter Ogden, Senior Fellow and Director of International Energy and Climate Policy
- Rebecca Lefton, Senior Policy Analyst
- Gwynne Taraska, Visiting Researcher
Read the analysis: What to Watch in Warsaw by Rebecca Lefton and Gwynne Taraska
To speak to an expert, contact Anne Shoup at [email protected] or 202.481.7146.
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