More hope for Paris climate deal after Commonwealth accord

Trudeau is wrapping up a two-day stay in Malta at the Commonwealth heads-of-government meeting today before heading on to Paris and the COP21 worldwide climate conference that formally gets underway Monday.

Developed countries committed in the Copenhagen accord in 2009 to contribute $100 billion annually by 2020 from various sources to help developing nations deal with climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Because its membership includes industrialised G7 powers like Britain and Canada, and tiny island microstates such as the Maldives, agreement in the Commonwealth has historically boded well for deals being struck beyond its bounds.

He said the statement shows a real commitment in the Commonwealth to address climate change challenges.

“Thirty-one of our 53 members are small states and 25 are small island developing states, which are most vulnerable to climate change”, said Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma.

On Sunday Mr Turnbull flies to Paris for the key COP21 summit aimed at achieving a global accord on tackling climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

Australia, Britain and Canada pledged billions of dollars (euros) to help the Commonwealth’s weaker members.

Turnbull, however, said the republican issue was not on cabinet’s agenda when he became Prime Minister in September.

“Here at this summit we’ve committed to do more to counter extremist propaganda on the Internet and to share expertise on prevention”, the British PM said at a press conference.

The Commonwealth has vowed to work towards an ambitious, durableand legally-binding deal at the Paris Climate Summit and sought adequate financial assistance to poor countries to help them cut green house gas emissions, a view strongly supported by India.

Corruption and extremism were linked, Cameron said, insisting malfeasance “can foment terrorism if people give up hope in a good and honest government providing the things they need like public services or access to justice”.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, said terrorists were most scared of “well-educated young girls and boys – especially girls – and a prosperous economy”.

On Friday evening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting banquet was held in her honour, with the 43-year-old Canadian Justin giving the toast.

It had been widely speculated that this might be the queen’s last biennial Commonwealth summit, because at 89 she has given up long-haul travel.