The UK government believes that a global climate deal brokered in Paris 2015 would make tackling climate change “much easier”.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has set out its vision for a global climate deal, arguing that a deal would not only be good for the UK but needed to halt the impacts of climate change globally.
The government argues that a global agreement would give a decisive political signal that “the future is low carbon” – encouraging the opening of new markets and the continued investment in low carbon technologies.
“You can go green and continue to prosper and develop – that is the strong message we will be taking to the global community in the coming months,” explained Ed Davey, energy and climate change secretary.
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Davey noted that there is “increasing political will” from many countries to tackle climate change.
The UK is proposing that all countries should commit to reducing emissions, but each country’s commitments should be fair, varying “in type and by ambition”. In addition, the UK wants to ensure that emission reduction progress is tracked in order to build trust and increase ambitions in the future.
Commenting on the need for a global consensus, Mark Wilson, group chief executive of Aviva plc, said: “We can’t assume we have access to unlimited natural resources and that we can consume them without consequences. How we behave today risks leaving a terrible legacy for the future – not just for humanity as a whole, but also for long-term business success. It’s vital that a legally binding global climate deal is agreed in Paris next year and I welcome the lead the UK government is taking, not least through today’s publication.”
Davey concluded: “I’m confident that the momentum is building to make Paris next year a decisive point in history. A moment when the world comes together and agrees action that will move it towards a safer, healthier and more prosperous future.”
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