ADDIS ABABA – After two weeks of disputatious climate talks, negotiators from 196 countries and the European Union countries agreed on the Katowice Climate Package; implementing the Paris Agreement, which combines a set of rules to help curb global warming.
As a leader of the group, Ethiopia has played an active role on submitting protocol document for the COP24th in Katowice, and illustrating the standpoint and interest of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Forest and Climate Change Commission remarked.
Briefing journalists here yesterday, Commissioner Professor Fekadu Beyene said that the COP24 in Katowice, Poland has ended by passing decision for implementation of the Paris Agreement that keeps the national interests of developing countries. The negotiations mainly focused on enabling the principles, modalities, procedures, and guidelines to be successful to implement the Paris Agreement, which was signed in 2015, Prof, Fikadu said.
The Agreement has also urged developed countries to reduce their carbon emission, provide technological and financial aid to LDCs. Ethiopia has now handed over its leadership of the LDCs to Bhutan, which is going to lead the group in the next climate change negotiations, the Commissioner added. Within the framework of COP24, many heads of state, government and almost 100 Ministers of the Environment and of Foreign Affairs from all over the world were present in Katowice.
It is thankful to reach the consensus, which has been agreed on by the Parties because of their commitment; Katowice has become, after Kyoto and Paris, another milestone on the way towards a sustainable global climate policy. But, the negotiators and experts know the so-called “Paris Rulebook” won’t be enough by itself to halt carbon pollution from reaching critical levels, CNN online news highlighted.
Countries would have to put more efforts to reduce carbon emission and deforestation to avoid droughts, super storms, deadly heat waves and coastal floods associated with global warming. In the Katowice Rules, different parties adopted a path that will be followed by each of them when it comes to stepping up actions for climate protection, The Ethiopian Herald has learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald December 22/2018
BY GETAHUN LEGESSE
