Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), a coalition of over 141 civil society groups from South Asia, termed the final text for Paris climate treaty as durable and dynamic but has fallen short on being fully fair and responsive to future needs.

Climate Action Network South Asia Director Sanjay Vashist said, “If adopted by the 21st conference of parties, all the countries in the world will have to agree to act together on climate change and all of them will have to make effort reflecting their common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5C that the existing INDCs will not be able to achieve. The onus is now on developed countries to fulfil their promises and scale up climate finance flows to support mitigation and adaptation efforts, especially for most vulnerable countries.”

Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust (COAST) Bangladesh Executive Director Rezaul Karim Chowdhary said, “If the text is adopted as it is, the ‘Most Vulnerable Countries’ have lost their right to claim liabilities and compensation for ‘Loss and Damage’. Countries like Bangladesh will not be able to seek assistance from richer nations and we will be left alone to face up to these disasters. Those who have polluted the planet most have gone scot free in this iteration of text.”

Vositha Wijenayake, legal expert from Sri Lanka of CANSA, said, “The Paris Agreement provides the basis for a compliance mechanism which provides for the opportunity to address climate change. It also has ensured that the entry into force will be an effective one, with a two trigger entry into force system, which will ensure that there is increased effectiveness when the agreement comes into effect.

CANSA Climate Finance Expert Anoop Poonia said, “There is a disconnect between future requirements of vulnerable countries and what is agreed in the text as a ‘fixed amount per year’. The developed countries have put a time limit on their responsibility to lead in providing finance for a long-term problem they have caused. Adaptation finance needs have short changed as the focus of the draft agreement still remains on mitigation.”

CANSA is a coalition of 141 civil society organisations from seven South Asian countries promoting equity and sustainable development in the design and development of an effective global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure its implementation.