Developing nations push for help to cope with climate change

World Today

Peru is hosting the last major round of United Nations climate talks before representatives from more than 190 countries attempt to broker a global climate deal in Paris at the end of next year. CCTV America’s Dan Collyns reported this story from Lima.

Two days of talks underline how much work still needs to be done to reach the first-ever global climate deal. Right now, developing nations are calling on developed nations to do “substantially more” to cut emissions and help them adapt to climate change.


Many nations around the world are feeling the effects of climate change. The need to curb the steady rise in greenhouse gases has never been more urgent.

The Alliance of Small Island States fears rising sea levels are causing floods, storms and damaging crops.

“Discussions on adaptation are absolutely critical in moving us forward. Adaptation is about survival. We are already experiencing impacts that can no longer be mitigated and, until which, we can no longer adapt. Fast loss and damage must be included as a central element of the 2015 agreement,” co-chair of Alliance of Small Island States Marlene Moses said.

Other islanders told CCTV America of their impatience as they wait for funds from richer nations.

“Countries like the Marshall Islands emit the least in terms of greenhouse gases yet we are the first ones to be affected from the result of climate change, regardless, we have taken the lead in transforming our energy sector into renewable energy,” Bruce Kijiner from Environmental planning office Marshall Islands said .

Developed nations said they’ve raised almost $10 billion in recent weeks for the U.N.’s Green Climate Fund to help developing nations cope with climate change, but that figure is just a fraction of the U.N.’s target of $100 billion every year, to 2020.

Environmentalists fear the optimism, following the U.S.-China carbon cuts deal made last month, may be chipped away unless more developed countries make pledges to help poorer nations adapt.

“There’s a majority of countries who are not responsible for global warming. They suffer most from catastrophic climate. This needs to be reflected in the Paris protocol that, on the one hand, you have ambitious mitigation commitments and, on the other hand, clear support mechanism to adapt to climate change and to help those people who will lose their home,” head of Climate Politics Greenpeace Martin Kaiser said.


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