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Corporate Leaders Groups

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26 November 2015 – In an interview with EuroMetaux, the voice of the European metals industry, our Director Sandrine Dixson-Declève explains what the business community expects from COP21.

Eurometaux: What are your expectations from next month’s COP-21 conference?

Sandrine Dixson-Declève:

I think we’re entering into COP 21 with a much better idea of the outcomes we want to get. At the moment, we’re very much trying to manage expectations, so that we don’t have a disastrous situation like we did post-Copenhagen. 

Good INDCs (intended nationally determined contributions) have come forwards. They’re not as powerful as we’d have liked, bringing us to somewhere between a 2.7°C and 3°C temperature rise by 2050. But although we are not yet on track to achieve our 2°C goal, we do feel that this COP has brought together more countries, and enforced a real set of commitments. If implemented properly, those commitments could make a huge difference to the trajectory we’re on. 

We also need to consider the large number of complementary actions and measures that have been promised from the business and investment communities, as well as other non-state actors. By coupling these together with the INDCs, we have a much better chance of hitting our 2°C goal. 

Eurometaux: More specifically, what is The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group calling for? 

Sandrine Dixson-Declève:

Well, firstly, the Corporate Leaders Group is pushing for a very clear long-term goal, which includes a global commitment for net-zero emissions by the end of the century. Within that, we continue to put pressure on the European leadership to make sure that by 2050, we meet our own goal for at least 80–95 per cent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. 

In addition, we’ve been advocating for 'five year cycles' – which is translated into ensuring that there is a continuous review and update process from different regions, which is continually readjusted. We also need to take innovation into consideration, as well as new breakthrough technologies that could push some countries to reach their targets faster.It’s absolutely fundamental to ensure that we move towards the 100 billion commitment that has been promised to developing countries. Until we are able to promise climate finance for mitigation and adaptation, we will not get developing countries to move forwards in implementing their INDCs. 

Read the full interview on the Eurometaux website