THE CARBON WAR

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The Winning of The Carbon War
universal access to sustainable development, by mobilizing appropriate means
of implementation; in addition, the draft decision of our Conference stipulates
that the $100 billion per year planned for 2020 will need to be a floor for post-
2020 and that a new quantified target will need to be set by 2025 at the latest.”
Every one of the boxes in the strong-signal scenario is ticked, then.
“It provides for a global stocktake of our progress every five years, which
will enable to us to take collective action if our efforts fall short of the targets set.
If it is adopted, this text will therefore mark a historical turning point. And more
generally, this COP21 is a real turning point, both in terms of non-governmental
action – that of local governments, businesses and many organizations – and
in terms of the establishment of a universal legal agreement.”
He appeals to delegations to come together in compromise now. The text
won’t please everyone, he says, but everyone needs to ask themselves whether
they can realistically hope for more than the overall balance that is being offered.
“And the answer, as I firmly believe and I hope you do too, is clearly that
this text, which we have built together, our text, is the best balance possible, a
balance which is both powerful and fragile, which will enable each delegation,
each group of countries, to return home with their heads held high, having
gained a lot. Today is therefore the moment of truth for all of us. Before you
examine the text and we are able, I hope, to approve it a little later in the day,
I would like to end by saying this.
“This agreement is necessary both for the world as a whole and for each
of our countries.
“It will help island States, for example in the Pacific and the Caribbean, to
protect themselves from the rising sea levels which are beginning to submerge
their coasts. It will speed up the process of giving Africa access to the financial
and technological means that are indispensable for the continent’s sustainable
development. It will support Latin American countries, in particular to preserve
their forests. It will support the countries that produce fossil fuels in their
efforts towards technological and economic diversification. It will help us all to
make the transition to resilient, low-carbon development based on sustainable
ways of life. For above and beyond the climate issues per se, this agreement
will support major causes such as food production and security, public health,
poverty reduction, essential rights and, lastly, peace.”
A peace treaty for our times, then. Just as President Hollande said on
Day One.
Fabius reminds the assembled thousands of the failure in Copenhagen.
“There were failings and mistakes, and the stars were not aligned; today, they