AcidNews June 2015
On 7 May Christina Figueres, the UN climate chief, met with representatives from seven Australian governments to encourage the states and territories to assist the federal government to help deliver a strong global deal at the UN COP21 negotiations in Paris at the end of the year.
She told them that there is “no space” for new coal development and highlighted the benefits of ambitious clean energy.
Asked about the country’s reported lack of enthusiasm for ambitious carbon emissions reductions, Figueres said: “like the oceans, there are ebbs and flows about everything.
We welcome that the federal government is turning in its national target by July and I’m confident it will encompass what the states and territories are doing,” she said. “I’m confident we will be pleasantly surprised.”
Australia’s federal government has begun consulting over emission reduction targets beyond 2020, which will be the main focus of the COP21 climate meeting.
Source: Climate Action/ UNEP press release 7 May 2015 http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/un_climate_chief_says_there_is_no_space_for_new_coal