CAN SBI Closing Intervention, December 2015

Thank you Mr. Chair,

I am Anthony Torres from Climate Action Network.

The devastating impacts of climate change are already being felt the world over.

SBI’s recommendations for the Adaptation Committee and the Warsaw International Mechanism to undertake next steps through their work plans are a positive signal for addressing these. CAN expects additional tasks to emerge from the ADP negotiations in order to ensure the scaling up of action to protect the world’s vulnerable.

But we are highly concerned about the outcome of SBSTA and SBI’s Joint Contact Group on the 2013-2015 Review, which failed to provide clear recommendations to build on the findings of three years of robust and intensive scientific work under the Structured Expert Dialogue.

Certain countries’ unwillingness to forward recommendations for next steps to the COP obstruct efforts to prevent further harm and suffering on our planet in peril.

Yet the science has spoken. Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees would avoid many of the disastrous impacts on people and ecosystems that the world’s governments have a legal and moral obligation to prevent.

We call on the COP presidency to take up this vital agenda item and bring it to a fruitful conclusion in the COP.

Thank you.