The Minister of the Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, highlighted this Sunday the doubts that exist that the current commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will contain the increase in temperature by 1.5ºC.
In a comment, in RTP3, to the conclusions of the UN climate conference, which culminated this Sunday morning in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Duarte Cordeiro agreed that, in the mitigation area, if there were no setbacks, there were no advances either.
And he highlighted the doubts that exist that, with the current commitments of the countries to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), the increase in global temperature will be contained at 1.5ºC (degrees Celsius), the goal of the Paris Agreement on the climate of 2015. and that the countries kept as a goal in the conference in Egypt.
At the UN conference, which lasted more than two weeks, an agreement was approved for the creation of a fund to finance climate losses and damages in poor and vulnerable countries, an ambition of the countries of the global south and one of the most important of the conference
But no substantial progress has been made in reducing GHG emissions, something that the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and the Vice President of the European Union, Frans Timmermans, have lamented.
In the interview, on the 360º information program, Duarte Cordeiro welcomed the creation of the damage fund, but warned about the lack of ambition in the GHG reduction commitments.
Duarte Cordeiro considered that the European Union did well, pressing to increase that ambition, that is, to reach the peak of GHG emissions in 2025, and presented himself with “more responsibilities”. And he regretted that several countries have tried to prevent the desired progress from being achieved.
Duarte Cordeiro also highlighted that in this matter Portugal is one of the “most progressive” countries at the European level, specifically in renewable energy, and reaffirmed that the country can even anticipate goals, one of which is to reach 80% of renewable energy already in 2026.
Source: Observadora
