Rich nations urged to do more on climate

Developing nations called on Tuesday for rich countries to do more to lead the fight against climate change.

About 190 nations are meeting in Lima, Peru, through Dec 12 to decide elements of a deal - due to be agreed on in Paris in a year's time - to reverse a steady rise in greenhouse gases to limit risks of more floods, droughts, heat waves and rising sea levels.

Tuesday underscored how much work remains to reach a global deal despite optimism in recent weeks after China, the United States and the European Union outlined goals for curbing their emissions beyond 2020.

The group of least-developed nations said in a statement that rich countries should do "substantially more" to cut emissions and provide cash to enable the poor to curb greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

"Progress is not nearly enough," said Marlene Moses of Nauru, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, which fears storm surges and rising sea levels.

Developed nations say they are already acting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and point to almost $10 billion raised in recent weeks for a Green Climate Fund to help developing nations cope with climate change.

Separately, leaders of the UN panel of climate scientists indicated that world greenhouse gas emissions will have to fall by 2100 to net zero - meaning that any lingering emissions will be offset by other measures, such as planting forests, which soak up carbon dioxide from the air as they grow - to avert the worst risks of climate change.

The United Nations says the Paris accord will be too weak to get on track for net zero emissions, meaning that pledges will have to be ratcheted up in coming years.

A group of experts suggested setting up a board of experts to review all national pledges every five years and give advice about how they could be strengthened.

"It can't force countries to do anything, but it will make it much clearer what the gaps are," said Jennifer Morgan, of the World Resources Institute think tank and lead author of the report by the group, called the ACT 2015 Initiative.

Hardest hit

The Philippines, Cambodia and India were the countries hardest hit by extreme weather events in 2013, according to a study unveiled on Tuesday in Lima.

The report by Germanwatch, a think tank partly funded by the German government, said the Philippines suffered most because 6,300 people died when Typhoon Haiyan struck a year ago and caused $13 billion in damage.

A new storm is now threatening the country.

(China Daily 12/04/2014 page10)