Introduction: Future Action - Post 2012
The primary and ongoing legal obligation on all countries belonging to the UN Framework Climate Convention is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. CAN’s position as well as that of EU is that in order to prevent dangerous climate change global mean warming needs to be limited to a peak temperature increase below 2°C (above pre-industrial times) and reduced as fast as possible thereafter.
Achieving the target of keeping global mean warming below 2°C requires significant emission reductions, initially from industrialized countries and in the long term globally. This will not happen outside of a clear and equitable global political framework for allocating the burden of action. The core principles of such framework must be those of equity, historical responsibility, and ability or capacity to act.
The entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol on the 16th of February 2005 was an historic victory for the global community and the EU despite the withdrawal of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, USA. As the international community and the EU now begin in earnest to discuss the next steps, it is particularly important to maintain the architecture of the Kyoto Protocol as a basis for a post-2012 regime. Legally binding emission reductions in successive commitment periods for industrialized countries coupled with the rapid introduction of sustainable energy production and end-use technologies, systems and practices in developing countries as well as in industrialised countries. As the world is already suffering from the negative impacts of climate change, a future regime has to include support for our most vulnerable regions and countries.
Documents of Interest:
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