China misses March deadline for submission of emission targets

LONDON — A total of 33 countries, which together produce 40 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, have submitted their reduction targets to the United Nations climate body, giving a boost to efforts in finalising a new global climate change deal in Paris at the end of this year.

Ms Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which received the submissions from countries including the United States and Russia, hailed the move as a very good start.

The end-March deadline was set for countries that have been ready to submit their emissions reduction targets. Other countries that have successfully met the deadline were the 28 members of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Mexico.

The EU’s Paris offer commits the bloc to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030, while Mexico has said it will raise its pledge to cut greenhouse gases and other pollutants by 25 per cent if other countries agree to tough action.

The United States, the second-largest emitter, on Tuesday pledged to cut its emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2025, calling it an ambitious target, though it is below Europe’s goal to slash emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.

Washington’s pledge repeats the November vow Mr Obama made with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said his country took an important step through the submission of its target. “Now, it’s time for other nations (to) come forward with their own targets to help ensure we can reach a global agreement at the UN Climate Conference in Paris later this year,” he added.

Meanwhile, China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, pushed back the planned date of submitting its pledge to June from the end of March. China’s pledge is expected to repeat the offer outlined alongside the US in November that its emissions would peak no later than 2030 and about a fifth of its energy would come from non-fossil fuel sources by then.

Industrialised countries that are lagging behind the moves, such as Japan, Canada and Australia, are likely to face further pressure to submit their own climate action plans at an early date.

“All three have sought to avoid their UN climate responsibilities and are heavily invested in increasingly stranded fossil-fuel assets, so their response will be key,” said Mr Tom Brookes, executive director of the European Climate Foundation campaign group.

With most large emitters expected to announce similar plans in the coming months, the UN played down concerns. “The pace at which these contributions are coming forward bodes well for Paris and beyond,” said Ms Figueres.

But anxiety remains about progress ahead of the Paris meeting. Representatives from more than 190 countries are due to meet in the French capital in December to sign an international agreement to cut the emissions that scientists say are likely to cause risky levels of global warming in coming decades.

This will be the biggest climate meeting since the 2009 Copenhagen summit, which failed to produce a robust deal after some nations were slow to set out their initial offers.

“The big lesson from Copenhagen was not to leave everything until the last minute and some countries are in danger of letting history repeat itself,” said Mr Tim Gore, international climate policy adviser at Oxfam.

But others said delays ahead of Paris would be inevitable in a lot of countries. “Many will be late, waiting to see the ambition levels of others,” said Ms Zoe Knight, head of HSBC’s climate change centre. AGENCIES