Switzerland calls for ambitious climate targets at the World Climate Conference
Keystone-SDA
Despite the current difficult geopolitical environment, Switzerland is optimistic about the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference. Switzerland’s environmental ambassador Felix Wertli sees this as an important signal of international cooperation.
“The fact that so many countries are working together despite all the difficulties is a success,” Wertli told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Ten years ago, the global community agreed on the Paris Climate Agreement. From November 10, representatives of almost 200 countries will once again negotiate the implementation and formulation of this agreement in Belém, Brazil.
At this 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), Switzerland is campaigning for all countries to submit ambitious new reduction targets. According to Wertli, this also applies in particular to countries with high CO2 emissions. In the Paris Climate Agreement, almost all countries in the world committed to limiting global warming to well below two degrees, but preferably to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial age. To this end, they must tighten their national climate targets every five years.
Updated climate targets and adaptation
These updated climate targets will be at the centre of this year’s negotiations. “The aim is for countries to take stock of what they have achieved so far under the Paris Agreement and where we still need to make improvements in order to close the gap to the 1.5 degree target,” said Wertli.
Switzerland submitted its new targets in January. According to the targets, Switzerland should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, and by 59% on average between 2031 and 2035. The targets are to be achieved primarily through domestic measures.
According to Wertli, the Swiss delegation is also working towards strengthening international investment in climate protection and involving the private sector more actively. Adaptation to climate change will also be one of the key topics in Belém. The countries want to introduce internationally comparable metrics for adaptation to climate change.
Between progress and pressure to act
Climate change is currently less of a priority in many countries than it was a few years ago, said Wertli. This is a major challenge. Nevertheless, after the US once again withdrew from the agreement at the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency, no other country has followed suit. This is a good sign.
“We are not on course to achieve the 1.5-degree target at the moment,” said Wertli. However, great progress has been made in the ten years since the Paris Climate Agreement. “In 2015, we were on the way to global warming of 4 degrees. Now we are on the path to 2.3 to 2.8 degrees,” emphasised the environmental ambassador.
Environment Minister Albert Rösti will also be attending COP 30. He will take part in a meeting of environment ministers in the second week of the conference.
Adapted from German by DeepL/ac
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