(Reuters) — Government representatives and officials at this year’s U.N. climate talks have played down the impact of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory last week on global momentum to tackle global warming, while Fiji leaders prepare to host next year’s international conference on climate change.
Speaking to delegates at a news conference COP22 President Mezouar said ”We don’t have any doubt about the spirit of pragmatism of President Donald Trump, nor the commitment demonstrated by the American people as a whole.”
Trump has called man-made global warming a hoax and has said he will withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which seeks to wean the global economy off fossil fuels this century with a shift to renewable energies such as wind and solar power.
Meanwhile, Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said he’d sought the advice from this year’s talks chief, Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, as they met on the sidelines of the climate conference and he confirmed that the pair will meet again in January to continue their discussions.
“I came to see his Excellency the president of COP22 to solicit advice, on how we can conduct COP23 successfully, and we’re planning on having another meeting on January in Bonn (Germany) with his officials and we will then talk over the final issues, but it is a big responsibility for a small island nation such as Fiji but we know that we won’t be able to conduct this presidency of COP23 without the assistance of persons such as the president of COP22 thank you.”
Many environment and development groups welcomed the united front presented by some 195 nations at the summit as they faced a campaign threat to quit the accord by President-elect Trump, which cast a shadow over the two-week gathering in Morocco.
