So far, it is safe to say that the Arab Group has not covered itself with climate ambition glory in Katowice. With Saudi Arabia at its helm, the Arab Group has been fighting fiercely to strip the impending COP decision of ambition, notably by refusing to recognize the importance of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C.
However, against all odds, a little Arab country is standing up to its bigger and richer brothers by refusing to reject the science.
In a somewhat unnoticed intervention during the Talanoa Dialogue, the Lebanese delegation declared that it “strongly welcomes” the IPCC report and committed to both revise its NDCs and develop a long-term decarbonisation strategy by 2020.
The head of delegation concluded their story by stating that “ambition is contagious, so let’s spread it!” ECO hopes that some of this ambition will pollinate other Arab countries. It won’t have to travel far…
