With just 10 days scheduled for formal negotiations before the climate summit begins in Paris on Nov. 30, work to pare back a negotiating text, still more than 80 pages long, is behind schedule and some important countries, including India and Saudi Arabia, have yet to deliver promises on emissions cuts.
"We don`t have much time," Ban told a news conference with French Foreign Laurent Fabius, who will preside over the Paris talks. "I hope negotiators and ministers (will) look beyond their national interests which is why I`m asking world leaders to give a clear message to their negotiators that they should accelerate this negotiation."
Pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions currently fall far short of what is needed to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.
Just over 50 countries have so far made pledges, although French officials have said they are confident the final offers will cover 90 percent of the world`s emissions. The 2 degree limit is what scientists say can prevent the most devastating consequences of climate change.
U.N. Chief Urges World Leaders to Speed Up Climate Talks
27 August 2015
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged world leaders on Wednesday to look beyond their national interests and make sure a global deal to fight climate change is agreed at talks in Paris this year.
