Experts from Climate Action Network-International (CAN-I) will host a media briefing to outline key expectations for the 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20), the major annual UN climate change negotiations, scheduled to commence in Lima, Peru, on 1 December 2014.

This year, climate change has returned to the top of the global political agenda, driven by unprecedented public mobilization and landmark scientific reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These reports emphasize the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels entirely and accelerate the global transition to renewable energy sources to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The central question for COP20 is whether governments can transform this public momentum into concrete progress by delivering a structured outline for national climate action commitments and advancing the international agreement expected to be finalized in Paris in December 2015.

Key Priorities for COP20:

• Establishing a Framework for National Contributions:
  Delegates are tasked with finalizing the structure of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), which will outline each country’s climate mitigation and adaptation plans to be submitted in early 2015.
• Accelerating the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels:
  Building on the IPCC’s findings, negotiators are expected to push for a stronger commitment to renewable energy deployment and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.
• Boosting Near-Term Climate Ambition:
  Governments must identify pathways to enhance pre-2020 climate action, which is essential for closing the emissions gap ahead of the Paris agreement.
• Delivering a Coherent Roadmap to Paris:
  COP20 aims to set a clear and detailed roadmap toward adopting a legally binding international climate treaty by the end of 2015.

Climate Action Network’s Call to Action:

“COP20 is a critical opportunity for governments to seize the momentum generated by global public engagement,” said Wael Hmaidan, Director of Climate Action Network-International. “The world is watching to see if ministers can deliver the political leadership needed to accelerate the energy transition and secure real progress on finance, mitigation, and national commitments.”

Hmaidan stressed that the Qatari Presidency must actively facilitate consensus on unresolved issues and inject political ambition into the talks to prevent stagnation.

Other climate experts, including Liz Gallagher of E3G, warned that while consensus is beginning to form around elements of the Kyoto Protocol, the Long-Term Cooperative Action (LCA) track remains disorganized, posing a risk to the overall success of the negotiations.

“The disarray in the LCA track threatens both the outcome in Lima and the progress toward an inclusive agreement in Paris,” Gallagher stated. “Ministers must take decisive action to steer the talks forward and avoid a hollow result.”

Steve Herz of the Sierra Club emphasized that climate finance remains a critical sticking point, particularly the need to secure commitments toward the $100 billion per year target agreed in previous negotiations. “If the United States continues to block progress on finance, it risks undermining the very platform it championed in Durban,” Herz cautioned.

About COP20:

COP20 in Lima brings together over 11,000 participants, including government delegates, observers, media, and civil society representatives. It is a vital stepping stone toward the universal climate agreement to be adopted in Paris in 2015.