By AFP - Agence France Presse
Climate action will 'endure' after Trump: UN climate chief
Global action on climate change “is robust and will endure” despite the re-election of Donald Trump, who has vowed to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the UN climate chief said on Tuesday.
“Many of you have been reporting on the climate implications of political events in recent weeks. I will just say this: our process is strong. It is robust and will endure,” Simon Stiell told reporters at the COP29 talks in Baku.
Trump's election has cast a long shadow over proceedings in Azerbaijan, with concerns that the imminent US withdrawal from the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement could undermine ambition around the negotiating table.
Stiell reiterated calls for the meeting to demonstrate that global solidarity on climate is not dead.
“Global cooperation is the only way for humanity to survive global warming,” he said.
The negotiations focus on increasing funding to help developing countries adapt to climate change and wean their economies off fossil fuels.
However, the small group of rich countries that currently pay for the funds want to see the donor pool expanded and are resisting calls for the current pledge of $100 billion a year to be increased tenfold.
Many face domestic audiences more concerned about inflation and sluggish economies than climate action.
But Stiell insisted that the two are linked.
“The climate crisis is fast becoming an economic killer,” he warned.
Without action, “every country and every family will be hurt even more than they are now.”
“Climate action is insurance against global inflation.”
bur-sah/giv
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