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| Informal plenary on Kyoto Protocol discusses issue of the US not being a Party |
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| Written by Meena Raman | |||
| Thursday, 17 December 2009 18:17 | |||
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Copenhagen, 15 December (Meena Raman) -German Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen co- chaired the informal consultations on the work of the Ad-hoc Working Group on the Kyoto Protocol with Indonesia's former environment minister, Rachmat Witoelar, who is now head of the National Council for Climate Change. The informal meeting commenced around 7 pm and was closed to observers. According to sources, the German minister said that all developing countries want the Kyoto Protocol to continue. He asked if Annex 1 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (KP) could agree to the amendment to Annex B of the KP to reflect the commitments for the second commitment period if the United States is not a party to the KP, the issue of land-use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), and the allowable assigned units from the first commitment period to be carried over were dealt with. Several countries intervened and in summing up the session in preparation for further consultations on Tuesday, the German Minister was to have said that no one categorically rejected the KP. The process was therefore to proceed to assume that the second commitment period continues. He also referred to the individual pledges by Annex 1 Parties which ranged from 16-23% reduction of emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. He proposed that the question for Parties to address on 15 December is whether this target was sufficient or whether the ambition needs to be increased and how this was to be done. He wanted Parties to focus on the aggregate level, range and pledges and ambition in the pledges. Developing countries who spoke included South Africa, stressed the principle of historical responsibility of Annex 1 Parties in relation to making further commitments under the KP. Japan said that if one set of developed countries has to meet commitments under the KP and others do not, it is a problem as the KP covers only 30% of the global greenhouse gases. The European Union (EU) wants to see progress from all major countries and welcomed the announcement by developing countries on their pledges before Copenhagen but there was no opportunity to discuss the pledges. The EU and Japan said that the US needs to be on board and they must be treated in the same way with the same set of rules. China said that in Bangkok, the killing of the KP became clear. This has damaged the political confidence of Parties. Zambia, referring to the US, said we are being held up because of the US. Should we be held up just because of this? The 30% coverage of emissions reductions of KP Parties is an excuse. The KP was born to respond to a situation where a small population of the world was causing climate change impacts. Australia said that all the pledges for 2020 were on the table. The informal consultations will continue on Tuesday, 15 December. TWN Update No. 15 Copenhagen News Update 15 December 2009 Published by the Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg Like it? Share it!
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