Former Climate Summit President Urges Ethiopia to Focus on Implementation for COP32 Success
via The Reporter Ethiopia2 min read
Laurent Fabius, former French foreign minister and chair of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, stated that Ethiopia's hosting of COP32 should prioritize concrete action over new climate pledges. Speaking in Addis Ababa, Fabius, who now chairs the Circle of COP Presidents, emphasized that the international climate regime needs to focus on implementing existing commitments from the Paris Agreement. He noted that the current geopolitical climate makes international climate diplomacy more challenging than during COP21, with some governments showing reluctance towards ambitious commitments. Despite these difficulties, Fabius praised Ethiopia's climate initiatives and highlighted Africa's role in climate solutions, despite being the most affected by global warming with the least contribution to emissions. He suggested that COP32's success would depend on diplomatic preparation and securing practical outcomes in areas like climate finance, methane reduction, carbon markets, reforestation, and clean cooking technologies. Fabius also defended the continued relevance of annual UN climate conferences as the only global forum for accountability and collective action, and mentioned France's support for Ethiopia's preparations following discussions between French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
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