As world powers prepare to begin crucial climate talks at the COP27 summit in Egypt, we speak to Chiara Martinelli, director of the Climate Action Network Europe, which describes itself as Europe's leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change. Martinelli says the EU should, in Sharm-el-Sheikh, agree to upgrade its previous commitment to cut carbon emissions by 55 percent and now target a 65 percent reduction in emissions. "This would send an important signal to the other negotiating parties that Europe is doing its fair share globally, and that it is committed to containing the global temperature rise within 1.5 °C," she tells Armen Georgian.
Martinelli also addressed the thorny issue of climate finance, saying. "At the heart of climate finance is the concept of climate justice. The biggest emitters need to support poor countries both for mitigation and adaptation as well as for loss and damage. And climate financing, in the form of grants, should go hand in hand with plans to ensure an energy transition in those [poor] countries. We can't afford [for] those countries to make the same mistakes that developed countries made by locking in a fossil fuels economy."
Finally, asked about renewable energy strategy, she said: "The war in Ukraine led to an increase in energy prices, and so now Europe has an opportunity to showcase the fact that renewables are not only greener but also cheaper at this moment in time. So this is the best moment we have to speed up the rollout of renewables both in Europe and in the investments we make on other continents. Europe has talked the talk; it should walk the walk."
