Landmark Paris Agreement ‘more fragile’ than ever, UK’s top climate diplomat warns
The world’s landmark Paris Agreement is “more fragile” than it has ever been and disagreements risk “imploding” it, the UK’s climate ambassador has warned.
The seminal treaty obliges countries to produce regular plans on how they will cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow climate change.
Since it was signed in 2015, predicted levels of global warming have fallen, the cost of wind and solar have plummeted and net zero targets have proliferated.
But the Paris Agreement is “more fragile now than it has been in the nine years up to now”, the UK’s new climate envoy Rachel Kyte said yesterday evening.
She added: “Certain countries push back on Paris because it’s too effective, in some respects. And then you’ve got countries who are saying it’s not effective enough.”
“It would be bizarre, if those two [things] came together and Paris found itself with not enough friends”, she said at an event hosted by the Overseas Development Institute thinktank.
Then UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and French President Francois Hollande among those celebrating the Paris Agreement at COP21 in Paris in 2015. Pic: Reuters
This week vulnerable island countries like Vanuatu, frustrated by glacial climate action, have taken their case to the International Criminal Court in a bid to hold polluting countries more accountable under the Paris Agreement.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, other countries think the treaty allows for too much meddling in their own affairs, said Ms Kyte.
They perceive the Paris Agreement as “beginning to lean into their kitchen and start looking over their shoulders while they’re making the soup”.
Ms Kyte – who took up the new role of top UK climate diplomat in September – did not name any countries.
But some Gulf States and India have hit back at accusations their national climate plans aren’t ambitious enough.
“So this is at risk of imploding the agreement... if you put the two together, Paris itself is quite fragile,” she said.
Her warning comes after a difficult time for global climate efforts, including the annual COP summits that produced and make progress on the Paris Agreement.
Last month, a group of climate heavyweights warned COPs were “no longer fit for purpose” and should be reformed.
Donald Trump is expected to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement when he takes office next month. His re-election has already had a “softening” effect on climate ambition in other countries, Ms Kyte said.
“I think it is important to recognise that Paris is working. [But] it is not working well enough.”
She said it’s “not that there’s some kind of fundamental flaw in the Paris Agreement”, but that every country needs to step up and “deliver the ambition” in it by producing more ambitious climate plans, which are due next year.
Under Paris, countries agreed to limit warming to no more than 2C, and ideally 1.5C, above levels before industrial times.
But current plans limit warming only to around 3C, the United Nations warned recently.
While this could still be catastrophic, it is better than the 4C the world was on course for before the Paris Agreement was struck.
Last month countries at the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan, agreed to channel $300bn a year to developing states to help them tackle climate change.
The figure is far short of the $1.3trn needed, fuelling concerns countries won’t be able to afford to come up with ambitious enough plans next year.
World
Israel had ‘no choice’ but to attack Iran because it was ‘rushing’ to nuclear bomb, president Isaac Herzog claims
Israel had “no other choice” but to attack Iran because it was proceeding “dramatically” towards a nuclear bomb, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has claimed.
Speaking to Sky News’ Yalda Hakim, he said Iran was “rushing” to the bomb “under disguise”.
He also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid reports that President Donald Trump vetoed a plan to kill him.
It comes as Israel and Iran continue to fire missiles at each other after Israel launched an unprecedented strike on Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities.
Tehran has long denied that its nuclear program has been attempting to obtain a nuclear weapon.
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Sky’s Yalda Hakim interrupted by air raid sirens
Mr Herzog was asked why Israel attacked Iran when it did.
“When you take such decisions of historic magnitude and proportions, you have to analyse all facets and all facts,” he replied.
“The truth of the matter is there was no other choice.”
Isaac Herzog speaks to Yalda Hakim
He claimed Iran was proceeding “dramatically” towards the bomb, both in terms of the enrichment of uranium and, “clandestinely”, the armament part of the process.
“I’ve always been very crystal clear with regards to a nuclear capability of our enemies – it has to be removed at once.”
Mr Herzog added: “We have to remove the Iranian nuclear program because we see the negotiating process as being futile because they are lying whilst talking to us.
“They are lying whilst talking to the United States and other allies.”
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Iran ambassador: ‘This is about self-defence’
Read more:
Iran’s ambassador to UK speaks to Sky News
UK advises against all travel to Israel
He was questioned whether the strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure could provoke a response that causes a mass casualty event in Israel.
“(We are) very much aware of the risks of this war,” he replied. “Every night there are missile attacks, heavy missile attacks on Israel.
“We have our air defence systems, which are excellent.
“Unfortunately, we have casualties. Brothers and sisters of ours from toddlers all the way up to the age of 94.”
He continued: “No, we don’t accept it at all… That’s why we are fighting also, to eliminate their capability of firing at us.”
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
He also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after reports Mr Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill him.
“Let’s just remember that the Supreme Leader of Iran has for years called for the annihilation of Israel.”
Iran’s response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities is “self-defence” and a “matter of principle”, the Iranian ambassador to the UK has told Sky News.
Speaking exclusively to The World With Yalda Hakim, Seyed Ali Mousavi said the “barbaric Israeli regime” is “violating international law” – describing Israel’s actions in recent days as “an act of aggression against the Iranian people”.
The conflict between Israel and Iran – once played out in a series of proxy wars – has escalated in the past three days.
Follow Israel-Iran conflict live
Sky’s Yalda Hakim spoke to Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi
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Israel-Iran: How the conflict escalated
On Friday morning, explosions hit Tehran as Israel carried out a major attack on its top army leaders, nuclear sites, and nuclear scientists.
Iran threatened “severe punishment” and quickly retaliated with a wave of missiles.
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Missile aftermath in Israel
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Israeli missile hits warehouse in Iranian city
When questioned about whether Iran could continue fighting Israel, the Iranian ambassador told Yalda Hakim that “it is a matter of principle”.
He said: “This is about self-defence, there is no doubt about it.
“We are a responsible member state of the UN and we do all activities according to our international obligations.
“Any activities are only in the framework of self-defence.”
Damage from an Iranian missile attack to a building in Bat Yam, Israel. Pic: Reuters
Explosions over Jerusalem on Sunday
He added that his country would “do our best to preserve our territorial integrity”, and that “with the help of God”, Iran will “materialise endeavours concretely against our enemy – the Israeli regime”.
Mr Mousavi also told Hakim that Iran’s nuclear activities are “monitored”, and that recent comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were “politically motivated”.
Read more here:
How conflict between Israel and Iran unfolded
UK advises against all travel to Israel
Explosions over Jerusalem as missiles ‘detected’ by IDF
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Missiles have also been seen over Tel Aviv
The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors found Iran was not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.
Iran said it has “always adhered” to the safeguarding obligations laid down by the watchdog.
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Iranian ambassador reacts to strikes – full interview
Announcing Operation Rising Lion on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran had recently taken steps to weaponise enriched uranium, which could be used to make nuclear weapons.
But Mr Mousavi stressed that Iran’s “peaceful activities” at its “nuclear fields” were only for the “generation of electricity, and other peaceful” things.
Iran was due to continue its round of negotiations with the US in Muscat – however, this was cancelled, given recent tensions.
The government is warning people not to travel to Israel under any circumstances, as the country’s missile exchange with Iran shows no sign of abating.
On Friday, the Foreign Office warned against “all but essential travel” to most of Israel.
The areas around Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights were already classed as red zones, with warnings to avoid travel to these areas.
But the government has now updated the warning for the remainder of the country to red.
Follow live: Tehran and Israel exchange strikes
This puts Israel on the same level as Iran, and the change of advice is also likely to impact travel insurance.
However, with Israel’s airspace closed, it is unlikely many people will be attempting the journey, and Israel’s national airline El Al has announced it is cancelling flights to and from many European cities, as well as Tokyo and Moscow, until 23 June.
The change in travel advice comes after a second night of ballistic missile barrages from Iran following Israel’s attack in the early hours of Friday morning.
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An eight-storey residential building in Tel Aviv was hit by a missile last night.
On Sunday morning, Israel’s health ministry said 12 people had been killed over the past day, taking the total since Friday to 15. It also said 385 people had arrived at hospital with injuries overnight.
Iran has not provided a total number of deaths or overall casualties, but has claimed dozens have been killed.
Iran’s health minister has said most of those injured and killed in Israeli strikes were civilians. According to comments carried by news agency IRNA, he said the majority were women and children.
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The chancellor said UK forces could “potentially” be used to help defend Israel.
Read more:
UK military could ‘potentially’ be used to defend Israel
Nuclear threat wasn’t the only reason Israel attacked Iran
What are Iran’s military capabilities
What is the UK doing?
The UK government is sending military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East.
While the prime minister would not confirm to reporters that UK forces could be used to defend Israel from future Iranian attacks, the chancellor told Sky News earlier that the government is “not ruling anything out”.
Speaking to Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Rachel Reeves said sending military assets to the Middle East “does not mean that we are at war”, and emphasised that “we have not been involved in these strikes or this conflict”.
“But we do have important assets in the region,” she continued. “And it is right that we send jets to protect them. And that’s what we’ve done. It’s a precautionary move, and at the same time, we are urging de-escalation.”
Pushed on the question of what the UK would do if Israel asked for support with its operations, the chancellor replied: “I’m not going to rule anything out at this stage. It’s a fast-moving situation, a very volatile situation. But we don’t want to see escalation.”
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