Qatar University to host seminar on climate change

Chevallier said: “In Paris, at the end of the month, the world will face a major challenge for our future, the future of our children: find a global agreement to tackle climate change”.

A seminar on climate change is expected to draw a wide participation from scientists, students and civil society members at Qatar University (QU) on Monday.

More than 120 world leaders have said they will attend the United Nations climate change conference – known as COP21 – which is due to get underway on November 30th. French Ambassador to Pakistan Ms Martine Dorance had a meeting with the prime minister twice during last one week; first when Nawaz visited French Embassy to offer his condolences over the Paris tragedy, and later she called on the premier in the PM House. The energy transition required to limit the damage caused by climate change offers huge potential for innovation, a technology revolution, economic activity and resulting jobs. “This agreement has the potential to be a significant turning point”. This has now been signed by 195 countries (Parties to the Convention).

Writing in the Financial Times, Pilita Clark quotes Andrew Steer, president of the US-based World Resources Institute environmental group, who said “I think, if anything, it stiffens the spine in terms of determination to really solve what is the greatest collective action problem in history”.

World leaders will discuss plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions and prevent global temperatures rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels at the conference, which is to run until 11 December.

But in the wake of the terrorist attacks in and around Paris this month, conference organizers indicated the event would be carried out slightly differently than previously planned, the COP 21 president said in a statement. This is the focus of Cop21. Hopes are high following the previous meeting in Copenhagen which ended without agreement.

More significantly, the United Nations has received this year, in advance of the Cop21 event, pledges (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs) from 168 countries around the world for emissions reduction. “So they are putting their travel plans where their mouth is and they will be there to support the climate negotiations”.