Madrid, Nov 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Spain and Chile are hoping that an upcoming United Nations climate summit in Madrid will pave the way for a new phase in efforts to tackle the climate crisis that will involve all administrations, societies and private sectors - not central governments alone.
Spain's Minister for the Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera and her Chilean counterpart Carolina Schmidt expressed these sentiments during a breakfast meeting ahead of the COP25 summit, which kicks off next Monday in the Spanish capital, Xinhua news agency reported.
Spain stepped in to host the major meeting after Chile backed out due to disruption brought about by large-scale protests in the Latin American nation.
Chile's President Sebasti?n Pi?era will not be attending the COP25, Schmidt said Tuesday, adding that he was prioritizing what was going on at home.
Chile, however, will still preside over the Madrid meeting.
The COP25 is of particular significance, according to the two ministers, given the imminent coming into force of the Paris Agreement and the fact that 2020 will see countries having to come up with more ambitious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The conference comes after a recent announcement by United States President Donald Trump to start the process of abandoning the global climate pact as well as the publication of new UN reports warning of the catastrophic effects of climate change.
The Spanish minister said new impetus needed to be given to multilateral action against "localisms" that threaten climate negotiations on a world scale.
"Spain wants to be the instrumental arm with a key agenda and at a key moment" to accelerate climate ambition and respond to scientific reports that warn of the "serious impacts" of climate change, Ribera said.
The minister highlighted the Spanish government's "firm will" not to let the meeting get written off at a time of "great environmental challenges."
She also affirmed Spain's commitment to Latin America and thanked the Andean country and UN for accepting Spain's offer to host the event.
The Chilean minister thanked Spain for its availability and generosity for agreeing to accommodate the COP25.
Schmidt stressed the importance of working together to implement the Paris Agreement - a pact that would set out more ambitious goals from 2020 onwards.
"The climate agenda is more current than ever," said the Chilean minister, who has made a call for the focus to be put on people, on a fair economic and social transition.
She said the social and environmental crises were "faces of the same currency."
Schmidt referred to the "awakening" of Chilean society and also to the serious street riots playing out within it.
The minister said there would be "no impunity" for those found to have committed violent acts and that the government was committed to coming up with a new constitution.
The meeting at a central Madrid hotel took place with protesters gathered behind a banner that read: "Spain welcomes a murderous government."
Demonstrators shouted slogans including "while Carolina has breakfast, her government murders."
Ribera said the summit should serve to generate greater climate ambition and also efforts for greater "social justice," and respond to increasingly forceful demands of society - especially young people.
"Young people set the pace for a new agenda and we cannot fail," she said.
Ribera said the estimated cost of the summit's organization was around 50 million euros compared to the initial forecast of about 60.
The summit will be held at Madrid's IFEMA fair grounds.
Source: IANS
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