Statement of Elliot Diringer
Executive Vice President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

On the conclusion of the 20th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Lima, Peru:

December 14 , 2014

The Lima deal keeps us on track to Paris, but also signals a tough year ahead.

Heading into Lima, we saw clear signs of strengthening will. And in the corridors, you could sense the rough outlines of a Paris deal. But in the negotiating room, countries had a very hard time shifting gears.

The US-China announcement last month hinted at a fundamental shift putting developed and developing countries on a more equal footing. It’s no surprise that in Lima a lot of developing countries pushed back. Striking a new balance between developed and developing nations will clearly be one of the toughest pieces next year in Paris.

What’s most important now is for other countries to declare their contributions to the Paris agreement. As long as others follow the lead of the U.S., China and the European Union, we should have a decent shot at meaningful global deal.

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Contacts: Marty Niland, nilandm@c2es.org, or Laura Rehrmann, rehrmannl@c2es.org

About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization promoting strong policy and action to address the challenges of energy and climate change. Launched in 2011, C2ES is the successor to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Learn more at www.c2es.org.