Two weeks of climate talks in Bonn, Germany wrapped up Thursday with a reminder from Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama of Fiji, whose nation will lead COP23 this fall, that “no-one, no matter who they are or where they live, will ultimately escape the impact of climate change.”
Bloomberg reported that the possibility of the U.S. pulling out of the Paris agreement galvanized delegates to work together at the “unusually cooperative” talks. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the U.S. delegation in Bonn “quietly” worked to promote long-term U.S. climate interests as they “walked a fine line” between unclear policies from Washington and participating in the talks with allies.
“The uncertainty swirling around the United States’ participation in the Paris agreement did not slow progress in Bonn,” Paula Caballero, global director of the Climate Program at World Resources Institute, said.
“If anything, countries were emboldened to move forward with more determination and show that international climate action will not be swayed by the shifting political winds of any one country.”
The White House has suggested Trump will make a decision on the Paris agreement following the G-7 summit at the end of this month.
“The next opportunity to demonstrate global leadership on climate change is the G7 Summit next week,” Caballero continued.
“Coming on the heels of the positive tone set in Bonn and a huge outpouring of support for the Paris agreement from businesses, cities and governments, there is no question that climate change will be the hot topic for the G7 leaders to grapple with.”
Source: Ecowatch