UNICEF UK welcomes the progress made by world governments at the UN Climate Talks in Durban last week, in particular the establishment of the Green Climate Fund to help vulnerable children and communities adapt to climate change.
The talks resulted in three key decisions that will help the international community move toward building a climate resilient world for children.
- Agreement by all countries to complete negotiations on a new legally binding climate treaty by 2015. This treaty will then become operational by 2020.
- Agreement on a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the existing climate change treaty to curb emissions.
- The establishment of the Green Climate Fund which will channel $100 billion a year in new and additional climate finance.
The Green Climate Fund will help children and communities in vulnerable countries adapt to climate change - something UNICEF UK campaigned on in 2011 with our Get Children Climate Ready campaign.
While the establishment of the Green Climate Fund is an important first step for long term climate finance, it is now vital that the money is mobilised. UNICEF UK urges the UK Government to commit to new finance, such as a Robin Hood Tax and shipping taxes in 2012 to help meet this need.
Similarly, we urge the UK Government to continue pushing for higher emissions reduction targets, to ensure we can curb global climate change to a safe level of 2 degrees while a new treaty is negotiated. Specifically, we hope the UK will continue to push the EU to adopt a 30% target for emissions reduction in 2012, which will be important in protecting the most vulnerable from the growing impacts of climate change.
"Considering the current economic crisis and the complications of achieving consensus amongst 194 countries, the outcome of the Durban Climate Summit should be welcomed", said Jazmin Burgess, UNICEF UK's Climate Change Policy and Research Officer.
"The pathway to a new legally binding deal, the extension of the Kyoto Protocol and the establishment of the Green Climate Fund are important steps in building a safe climate for the world's children."
"The UK Government should be congratulated for the important role they played in securing this outcome. However, there is much still to be done, and we hope the UK will continue to show strong leadership, particularly in securing new and additional climate finance in 2012 to be channelled through the Green Climate Fund."
Find out more
