LMP sees no guarantees for keeping Paris climate change deal

Budapest (MTI) – There is no guarantee that the climate change agreement adopted at the Paris summit will be kept, the green opposition LMP party’s Erzsebet Schmuck said on Sunday.

Schmuck told MTI by phone after attending the summit that no sanctions have been specified that could be applied to countries that fail to reduce carbon-dioxide emission in line with the agreement. As a result, economic interests might easily overrule environmental concerns, she added.

Financing is an additional critical element of the summit because nothing obliges the developed nations to really provide the resources they have promised, she said.

An additional problem is that the agreement sets a distant date for solving the problem and no concrete deadlines have been specified in the short term, Schmuck said.

At the same time, she welcomed the fact that leading politicians from around the world attended the summit and, at least in words, they expressed dedication to the fight against climate change. Additionally, large social groups have expressed their expectations and scientists, religious leaders and civil organisations also contributed to the summit.

Six Hungarian environmental organisations said in a joint declaration that since the Paris climate change deal does not include guarantees, even larger responsibility lies on various governments. They urged the Hungarian government to reduce emission by a significantly greater extent than what has been planned in line with European Union targets. In order to do this, energy efficiency and saving need to become priorities. The government should stop supporting fossil energy sources and gradually change over to an economy based on renewable energy. The statement has been signed by Energiaklub, Greenpeace Hungary, the Clean Air Action Group, the National Society of Conservationists, Protect the Future and WWF Hungary.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters