Tuesday, April 14, 2015

THE ROAD TO PARIS. AGENDA OF SOLUTIONS



By Aaron yancho kaah  in Addis Ababa
 
In  December 2015, Paris will host the 21st conference of parties, the biggest UN sponsored international event  to be hosted by that country for decades. (195 countries and 40.000delegates) . The French  government has already unveiled the conference logo  which was enugurated  by the french foreign minister Laurent Fabius a month ago in Paris.
           
Six years after the UN talks failed  to yeild any friuts in Copenhagen, the Paris summit is expeted to strike a workable deal that will start from 2020 to 2035 under the new climate policy agreement. The French authourities are now drumming up support  for a globally, universally  and ambitious agreement which will reduce or maintain the 2°C.


Speaking in Addis-Ababa on the forum: Road to Paris' What kind of Agreement do we Need?. The French minister for state in charge of development and the francophony Ms. Annick Girardin said any temperature  rise to above 2°C could lead  to uncontrollable climate changes. The  French diplomat  explained  that the -climate  was a major geopolitical  issue very much attched to peace and security  as  well as justice , equity and development. Ms.Annick averred  that development andclimate changes  were major development issues  for countries of the south. "The poorest countries  are the most affected"..she said. The diplomat went further  to quote the IPCC report that profiled how Ethiopia  was threaten by floods and rising temperatures that hampered the coffe production sector as a result of the proliferation of parasites. "These impacts were a danger to humanity". She intimidated. Ms Annick received standing ovations  when she said. 'We the rich have poluted to develop..We as Africa have the right to do same'.she lamented  that if the poor countries developed using the same models  as the rich, the world would fine it extremely hard to combat the effects of the climate changes. "Please we must seek alternative development models" .she said. The French lady called  for a proper utilization of natural resources mangement  projects so as to prevent emmissions and diseases across the African continent.

                                          The ETHIOPIAN MODEL


The  french diplomat applauded the Ethiopian  govt or its pro-active  projects aimed at dealing with the climate changes. After visiting these  projdcts the French lady thought it wise to lebel these projects  as the most ambitious on the continent that led to contineous economic growth  without increasing emissions. Over  the years the Ethiopians govt had also developed  renewable energy  resources considered the largest wind farms and the a good fight against deforestation according to Annick . "This is a  sign of an Africa that is getting mobilized"..she continued. The climate change programs of the Horn of Africa Regional Environment center and Network had also increased the adptive capacity of most vulnerable communities in Ethiopia  to the shocks of the climate changes and to mitigate its impacts.By promoting sustainable  and participatory interventions  and in investing in research  the initiative improved livelihoods  and food security across Ethiopia and has enhanced  environmental conservation according to Dr- Araya Asfaw executive director of the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Center & Network.


                                       THE ISSUE  AT STAKES IN 2015  PARIS SUMMIT. 

The French diplomat echoed that  the erreurs of Copenhagen were to be avoided if the paris summit was any thing to ride homeabout. She said  a new legal binding document  was in prospect  to replace the Kyoto protocol in a bid to make things work for all the parties involve.  She went further to under line committments  from all the countries as a must demand  and a reasonable financial package  forthe poor countries  to aid them adapt  in the new development models and projects. Ms. Annick told the participants lound and clear that concrete committments  from within the none state actors like the NGO's and the Civil society Organizations  was a spice  to stir the Paris summit to greater momentum.
However  acknowledging that the Road toParis   had so many stages , the French lady  stated that the positionof the French govt and its people was clear. "Each and every one of you should take this raod...at each cross raod we should make the right choices" .she concluded.
 Nonetheless securing a common standing position between the 195 countries will be not piece of cake to swallow come December 2015. The conflict of interest has been and will be and china for example will be no easy task to lobby. On the heels of all of these never ending trouble climate talks, France must read the signs of the time to save the credibility of thr UN by lobbying  member states to find lasting solutions  to these crisis and to bestowing some pride on its name as a country with a strong environmental track record in the eyes of the international community.

End*******

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