Doha: Ambition is always for tomorrow

Brussels, 11/12/2012

The gap between the emission reduction levels recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the one hand, and the commitments made on the other, continues to be a matter of grave concern. Although a global effort is needed to cut emissions by 50% by 2050 in order to keep global warming below two degrees centigrade, the current promises will inexorably bring us to a global warming level of four degrees.

In terms of financing, the discrepancy between the needs of developing countries and the commitments of governments in developed countries is striking. Struggling to reach the objective of providing an additional $30 billion over the period 2010-2012, developed countries have refused to subscribe to the interim objectives that would fulfil their promise to mobilise $100 billion a year by 2020.

Although some progress was made at Doha, the current responses are totally insufficient for initiating Just Transition policies to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

The United Nations is nonetheless still the only forum capable of organising a multilateral process to fight against climate change. The timeframe of this process is now clear: 2015 is henceforth the target date by which a new, legally binding world agreement must be approved. The ETUC is calling on governments to adopt more ambitious domestic policies, hoping that they will abandon selfish short-sighted strategies and will put the common good and the Just Transition at the centre of their work.