World leaders behind emissions management – tourism will be affected

Obama, Xi, Pope Francis – Reuters/White House

Pope, Obama, Xi call for global action on climate change ahead of Paris summit

The Pope and the leaders of the world’s two largest economies lined up on Friday to call for global action on climate change, buoying expectations that a robust accord will be reached at COP21 – the UN’s climate summit in December.

It is certain that the global tourism industry will be called on to make substantial emissions savings shortly.

And it is likely that a global emissions trading system and global carbon-pricing system will be instituted.

President Barack Obama commended China’s move to launch a national scheme putting a price on greenhouse gas pollution in 2017 as a move that would bring the world closer to dealing with climate change. Mr Obama has also welcomed China’s pledge to provide $3.1bn to help developing countries tackle climate change.

In the same week, Pope Francis used his visit to the US to send a strong message on the need for politicians around the world to do more to protect the environment.

The pontiff used his speech at the UN to reinforce the need to tackle climate change and to talk about a human "right of the environment".

"We human beings are part of the environment," said Pope Francis, who earlier in his US trip welcomed a controversial move by Mr Obama to impose controls on carbon emissions. "Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity."

Environmental groups hailed the joint appeals for action. China’s moves represented "a paradigm shift", said Li Shuo, a senior climate policy analyst for Greenpeace. "With this deal, it’s clear China is ready to lead on climate"

China’s carbon trading plans take the world a big step closer towards a global carbon pricing system, a move many experts say would be the most cost-effective way to slow climate change.

The Chinese premier’s announcement is likely to add more impetus to UN negotiations that are due to deliver a global climate change accord in Paris in December.

His pledge to offer $3.1bn to help developing countries tackle climate change also marks a potential turning point in the talks, which have long been deadlocked over poorer countries’ demands for richer nations to help them fund cleaner energy systems.

Wealthy nations agreed six years ago to mobilise $100bn a year by 2020 in climate finance for developing countries but have struggled to show they will meet this goal.

Beijing’s pledge makes that target easier to meet, and breaks down a historic convention in the talks that has classed China and other big emerging industrial powers as developing nations, despite their growing wealth. That could make it easier to seal a global deal in Paris.

The ICAO which represents world airlines has agreed to put in place a global carbon management system for the airline industry next year.

Stand by for big changes.

Valere Tjolle

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