Figueres issues update on COP18 Doha climate talks

By John Parnell

UN climate change chief Christiana Figueres has praised the “concrete progress” made this year and said that the negotiation track on Long-term Cooperative Action (LCA) would close at the end of Doha.

The fate of the LCA created controversy at the latest round of talks in Bangkok with developing countries saying it was important to conclude all its work in good time and that parachuting ongoing discussions into other tracks could jeopardise their progress.

“Before the LCA is closed though, the scientific review must be launched. That’s the process that determines if the ambition that they countries are pursuing with their mitigation targets will be enough. I think we can predict what that review will say, good but not enough,” Figueres said.

She also defended the EU’s emissions reduction target of 20% by 2020 saying that they were the first to admit that was “insufficient”. The EU is looking for other Parties to the talks to indicate their own increased targets before they commit to theirs.

Video: UN Webcast of press conference with Christiana Figueres

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