U.N. Climate Talks Adopt Rule Book for Paris Agreement

December 16, 2018

Katowice, Poland--Countries participating in an annual U.N. climate change conference adopted on Saturday a rule book to implement commitments under the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on the fight against global warming.

Efforts to keep the average global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial revolution levels will be set in motion from 2020 under uniform rules governing all countries.

The rule book was adopted at the end of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP 24, in Katowice, southern Poland, where the participants continued talks beyond the scheduled adjournment on Friday.

Regarding the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, all countries will be required to clarify detailed information including the base year, along with the sources of such information.

Advanced and developing countries will use common rules in principle to review progress toward achieving their emissions reduction goals.

Developing countries had called for looser rules than for advanced countries, but eventually accepted the common rules after it was agreed that they will be given some flexibility in line with their capacity, conference sources said.

Advanced countries will make reports every two years from 2020 on their plans to give financial assistance to developing countries.

It has already been decided that advanced countries will provide 100 billion dollars annually in public-private aid through 2020. Discussions will begin in 2020 on a higher goal for 2025 and beyond.

The countries agreed that no penalties will be imposed on violations of such rules.

The participants also agreed that support measures for migration from low-lying islands facing an increase in sea level caused by global warming will be included in interim reports on progress toward emissions cut goals.

No agreement was reached at the meeting on rules for reporting greenhouse gas emissions reductions internationally. The participants decided to discuss the issue at the next conference, COP 25, to be held in Chile in November 2019. Jiji Press