We need to join forces to fight against global warming: Dutch climate envoy

The Netherlands' international representative for climate affairs on Tuesday told EFE in an interview that everyone should join forces in the fight against global warming.

Marcel Beukeboom, who was appointed Climate Envoy of the Dutch ministry of economic affairs and climate policy in October 2017, stressed that it was crucial to act as soon as possible and without looking for culprits when it came to countering climate change, instead working with the worst global emitters of greenhouse gases to find ways of reducing their emissions.

"You can't just say: 'okay, this is what we agreed in the Paris Agreements, so now we know what to do, we have ambition and we implement ambitious policies,'" Beukeboom said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"We also know we can only get there if we do it together, especially with the biggest emitters globally, and those are the ones, as you know, that is not always the most ambitious when it comes to the implementation of policies," he added. "It's not an easy job."

Beukeboom said he believed the current disagreements over how to reduce the future increase in global temperatures to just two degrees Celsius gave forth a very complicated image, "but we have to deal with it, because we cannot consider that having clear objectives is enough, we have to work together."

One of the Dutch expert's main goals when it comes to the European Union is to convince member states to adopt a higher target regarding the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

"It always starts with the Paris Agreement," he said. "That is what is an overarching goal. We know what science tells us and we have to strive towards limiting global warming to 2 or 1.5 degrees, and from that, we derive policies."

"The Paris Agreement is what we call a hybrid agreement, it has an overarching goal, the 2 or 1.5 degrees. All the countries had submitted their own plans that have to be updated every five years," he added. "Next year, all members of the United Nations have to do that, including the EU and its member states. I think that is a big priority."

Beukeboom frequently travels to Asia, a region in which he has several counterparts and the part of the planet that has suffered some of the worst visible effects of climate change in recent years.

He said that China was one of the most important players to be counted on in the fight against global warming due to its size, while another Asian giant, India, was starting to lead the way, especially when it came to solar energy and other related issues such as poverty, security and intelligent agriculture.

Beukeboom acknowledged that often, progress was hindered by the positions of some African countries which are the main victims of the effects of climate change such as long droughts but are the least responsible for global warming as they have historically had lower emissions due to a comparatively reduced industrialization process.

He said that in those instances, he tries not to use the word "guilt," but rather "responsibility" and "aid."

"We need to find how to solve the situation together. It doesn't help to look for culprits and make accusations, we need to move forward," he added.

"The moment you make it more concrete, it becomes more tangible for ordinary people as well," Beukeboom explained. "And then we talk about a whole range: energy use, transportation, what can you do? Do you have to change to an electric vehicle, for example? Do we have to change our diet and consume less meat?"