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| Turmoil in Copenhagen - outcome uncertain |
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| Written by Meena Raman | |||
| Monday, 04 January 2010 17:58 | |||
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Copenhagen, December 18 (Meena Raman)- In the last remaining hours of the Copenhagen climate conference, turmoil prevails and whether there will be any outcome is uncertain. At an informal high-level event convened by Danish Prime Minister, Lars Loekke Rasmussen and attended by Heads of States and Heads of Government this morning, speeches were made by a list of pre-selected Heads of States who included the Presidents of the United States, Brazil, Ethiopia, Russia, the Prime Ministers of China, India, Grenada, Lesotho, Japan and then Vice President of Sudan. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and President Evo Morales of Bolivia, who were not scheduled to speak, asked to do so and went on to powerfully reject the pressure put on developing countries to reach a political agreement through an un-transparent and undemocratic process. They were referring to a small meeting of Heads of States that was being conducted by Rasmussen, to finalise a "Copenhagen Accord" to which both the Venezuelan and Bolivian Presidents were not invited. President Morales denounced this process where "there were small groups of Presidents working on a document." He said that this was not inclusive where only a few Presidents were invited to and not all Presidents, although some had been around the last few days. President Chavez, who spoke for the nine ALBA countries said that he had learnt that a "small group of friends of the President (of the Conference of Parties) was meeting. He said that "we are not enemies but we have not been invited as friends. We were not even approached to seek our views. All countries are equal and we all at the same level. There are no category of Presidents who are first or second", he stressed. "This move lacked transparency. No one can slip a document through the door or try to do something in a fraudulent way." He categorically rejected any document which was "cooked-up" and announced he and President Morales were leaving the Conference, and stressed that their officials will reject any such documents produced. (In the early hours of Friday morning, a small closed meeting of heads of delegation from selected countries met. For some delegations this was at head of state or ministerial level. Sources reported that a Danish text had been tabled for discussion. The meeting ended at around 7 a.m.) Chavez also said that the "Kyoto Protocol cannot be named as dead". He said that the United States should ratify the Kyoto Protocol. If the climate was a bank, it would have been saved, referring to the bank rescues during the financial crisis. The USD10 billion per year for fast track financing was a "joke". Chavez said that that half of the US military expenditure of USD700 billion could help save the planet. He said that developing countries have not come to Copenhagen to "beg for alms" but for solutions. Referring to US President Barack Obama who said that the United States "had come to act and not talk", President Morales also echoed the call for developed countries to fulfill their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. He also said that the money spent on wars could be used to save the planet. Committing the world to a maximum of 2 degree C temperature rise is to allow islands to be eliminated, and snows to melt in the mountains. (Bolivia is for limiting the temperature rise to 1 degree C). Brazilian President Lula also expressed his frustration over the process of the negotiations. He said that he had participated in the meeting of Heads of States yesterday (Thursday, 17 December) till 2 am in the morning. He said that many Heads of States were present as well as "prominent figures". President Lula said that he had not witnessed such a meeting before to which Heads of States were subjected to "bargaining" (referring to his days as a trade union leader bargaining with business). He said that some leaders think that "money will solve the problem". Money is important to address the climate challenge, but developed countries should not see this as doing developing countries a favour. "Developing countries are not begging for money and that this was not a bargain between those who have money and those who do not. The money needed by developing countries is to address the climate impacts that have been caused by the historical emission of developed countries," he said. President Lula said that he did not agree that the world leaders should "sign any paper just to say we signed a document". Any political statement must take into account the work of the negotiators and their working papers. He underlined three issues - the importance of the Kyoto Protocol, the implementation of the Convention and on the issue of measuring, reporting and verification, national sovereignty and national competence to have one's own oversight was important. President Obama said that the ability for collective action by Parties is in doubt. He said that he came to act boldly, and not to talk. He said that the US, as the world's largest economy and second largest emitter bears responsibility to act. President Obama said that it was in the mutual interest of all Parties to act together and hold each other accountable to the commitments. He underlined the following actions needed: (1) All major economies need decisive national actions that would change the course of climate change. The US will fulfill its commitment to 17% reductions in emissions by 2020 and 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. (2) There must be a mechanism to review and exchange information in a transparent manner, which must be credible. "Without accountability, these actions would be empty words," he said. (3) Financing for developing countries for those who are most vulnerable, with USD10 billion in fast-start financing by 2012 and for a global effort for USD100 billion by 2020. However, President Obama said that this would be possible only if it was part of a broader accord relating to mitigation and transparency. He said that the question is whether Parties will move forward from posturing to action. He said that developing countries want developed countries to act with no strings attached and no obligations. The advanced developing countries need to be held accountable as fastest growing emitters to share the burden. He said that the "fault lines" exist because "we have been imprisoned by two decades of international negotiations. It is time to embrace the (Copenhagen) accord and take substantial steps and build a foundation where everyone will act or we can choose to delay. Parties have been falling back in the same divisions for years with the same state arguments months after months and decades after," he said. He said that the US had made its choice, and it was now time for nations to come together in common purpose. Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao began by stating China's efforts at addressing climate change at the national level. He stressed that the Kyoto Protocol and the climate Convention served as the legal basis to guide international cooperation. He called for Parties to stick to these instruments and not deviate from them. Premier Wen said that in addressing climate change, developing countries act in the context of sustainable development and this should not be undermined. He said emissions from many developed countries have increased rather than decreased, and the mid-tern reduction targets recently announced by these countries (for post 2012) fell short of the Convention and expectations of the international community. It was necessary to set direction for a long-term perspective, but it is even more important to focus on achieving near term and mid-term reduction targets, honouring the commitments already made by of developed countries are also honoured. There should be no conditions set by developed countries to commit to these targets. There was need to honour words with actions, he said. "We should give people hope by taking credible actions". Prime Minister Pakaliua Mosisili of Lesotho spoke for the LDCs. He said that after hard negotiations, an agreement could not be reached for a legally binding regime in the spirit of the Bali Roadmap. The Kyoto Protocol offered the best framework to address the root causes of climate change. A political statement is a compromise that it could live with, although it would have preferred a legally binding agreement. It hoped for the statement to be the basis for a legally binding regime in the future. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh of India said that the outcome may well be short of expectations. He referred to three lessons that are important for future negotiations in 2010. The vast majority of the countries want what was envisaged in Bali for enhancing implementation and this should be followed through. To settle for diminished implementation is sending a wrong message he said. The Kyoto Protocol should stand as a valid legal instrument. He was against replacing this with a new agreement with a weak set of commitments. Also, equitable sharing of atmospheric space should underline an effective climate change regime. President Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, speaking for Africa said that it was prepared to support the political agreement". Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama supported the political document and asked Parties to leave egoism aside. The Vice President of Sudan, Nafie Ali Nafie spoke for the G77 and China. He stressed the need for the two track outcome in both the Kyoto Protocol and the Convention and insisted on a party-driven, bottom up process. The Swedish Prime Minister, speaking for the EU said that a political agreement was important and it was not just about process and procedure, as the time had come for Parties to deliver. He said, "If we are serious about an agreement all countries must make more ambitious commitments". He also said that the US and China must make more ambitious commitments as they account for half the world's emissions. TWN Update No. 22 Copenhagen News Update 18 December 2009 Published by the Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg Like it? Share it!
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