US, EU want UN to push low cost of climate fight

The United States, and European Union want the United Nations to press the low cost of fighting climate change in a draft handbook for countries on the issue.

According to a leaked document of the handbook, obtained by Reuters, the U.S. wants it to show that the cost of action “will be almost insignificant relative to projected growth.”

{mosads}In the over 2,000 comments on the U.N. draft, a number of governments are asking for more explanation as to why the pace of global temperature rises has slowed since 1998 despite increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

In those same comments the U.S. said a report in April highlighted the small cost of tackling change more effectively.

The EU said the handbook needs to show that the cost of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables like wind and solar “looks relatively modest,” according to the leaked document obtained by Reuters.

Top climate scientists crafted the 32-page document, which will be published on Nov. 2, after a round of editing in Copenhagen next week.

The document is expected to help guide nearly 200 governments that plan to work towards a deal to cut emissions and tackle climate change in Paris next year.