DOHA: On the first day of climate change talks here, India joined hands with China and other developing countries, including the small island states and the least developed countries (LDCs), to put rich countries on the mat for their lack of appetite to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The influential green NGOs too joined in to demand greater commitment from the developed world.
The like-minded developing countries a new formation of 15-20 nations anchored by India and China said, "Our work in Doha must ensure that Annex I parties (developed countries that are part of Kyoto Protocol) take on ambitious and legally binding mitigation commitments under the Kyoto Protocol." They linked the emission reduction obligations that developed countries such as the European Union (EU) take under the protocol to future of the new post-2020 global regime slated to be negotiated by 2015.
The BASIC group India, China, Brazil and South Africa spoke in one voice, "We strongly believe that the Kyoto Protocol remains the key component and cornerstone of the international climate regime and that the adoption of its second commitment period through a ratifiable amendment implemented from January 1, 2013, is the most important priority and the key deliverable for Doha."
Too often in the previous couple of years the small island developing countries and LDCs have cozied up to the EU. But they too mounted pressure on the developed world to do more.
"The commitments proposed by those parties ready to join a second commitment period are roughly consistent with an aggregate 20% reduction below 1990 levels by 2020. So this ambition must be urgently increased, and the time for this increase is here in Doha," said the Association of Small Island States at the launch of Doha talks.
The US came under attack by Gambia, who spoke on behalf of the LDCs, with the African nation singling out the biggest historical emitter. "We also hope that the year with a monster storm and scorching heat waves, as well as the re-elected leadership will lead the US to be more active and will no longer be a disinterested bystander in this process," Gambia hit out in a rare outburst of nations singling out others by name in such international diplomatic wars.
The green NGOs chimed in. The Climate Action Network, one of the largest grouping of climate NGOs, said, "Not only should developed countries sign on to second commitment period of the world's only legally binding climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, but for the nations involved to increase their emission reductions within the treaty and to close the loopholes that existed within it which would let 30 billion tonnes of carbon escape into the atmosphere."
Third World Network (TWN), an influential southern voice in the civil society, also linked the appetite EU and other developed countries show to take action to the future of the new global deal. "Whether Doha will result in an ambitious and legally binding Kyoto Protocol-2 remains to be seen and expectations are not very optimistic. An un-ambitious and weak outcome under the Kyoto Protocol will indeed have ramifications for the work of (the other tracks of negotiations)," said TWN.
Even as the US refused pointblank here to increase its emission reduction targets the EU fudged its way, linking higher obligations to yet more action by the developing world and partly suggesting economic realities could shape the decisions. "We are ready to step up our ambition from 20 to 30 per cent if the other major economies will also move up to the higher end of the pledges. This offer is still on the table and will stay on the table even after Doha," said the EU.
"We want a ratifiable amendment which makes way for ambition to increase during the commitment period," the EU added.
India, China gang up against non-committal rich nations in Doha climate talks - The Times of India
The like-minded developing countries a new formation of 15-20 nations anchored by India and China said, "Our work in Doha must ensure that Annex I parties (developed countries that are part of Kyoto Protocol) take on ambitious and legally binding mitigation commitments under the Kyoto Protocol." They linked the emission reduction obligations that developed countries such as the European Union (EU) take under the protocol to future of the new post-2020 global regime slated to be negotiated by 2015.
The BASIC group India, China, Brazil and South Africa spoke in one voice, "We strongly believe that the Kyoto Protocol remains the key component and cornerstone of the international climate regime and that the adoption of its second commitment period through a ratifiable amendment implemented from January 1, 2013, is the most important priority and the key deliverable for Doha."
Too often in the previous couple of years the small island developing countries and LDCs have cozied up to the EU. But they too mounted pressure on the developed world to do more.
"The commitments proposed by those parties ready to join a second commitment period are roughly consistent with an aggregate 20% reduction below 1990 levels by 2020. So this ambition must be urgently increased, and the time for this increase is here in Doha," said the Association of Small Island States at the launch of Doha talks.
The US came under attack by Gambia, who spoke on behalf of the LDCs, with the African nation singling out the biggest historical emitter. "We also hope that the year with a monster storm and scorching heat waves, as well as the re-elected leadership will lead the US to be more active and will no longer be a disinterested bystander in this process," Gambia hit out in a rare outburst of nations singling out others by name in such international diplomatic wars.
The green NGOs chimed in. The Climate Action Network, one of the largest grouping of climate NGOs, said, "Not only should developed countries sign on to second commitment period of the world's only legally binding climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, but for the nations involved to increase their emission reductions within the treaty and to close the loopholes that existed within it which would let 30 billion tonnes of carbon escape into the atmosphere."
Third World Network (TWN), an influential southern voice in the civil society, also linked the appetite EU and other developed countries show to take action to the future of the new global deal. "Whether Doha will result in an ambitious and legally binding Kyoto Protocol-2 remains to be seen and expectations are not very optimistic. An un-ambitious and weak outcome under the Kyoto Protocol will indeed have ramifications for the work of (the other tracks of negotiations)," said TWN.
Even as the US refused pointblank here to increase its emission reduction targets the EU fudged its way, linking higher obligations to yet more action by the developing world and partly suggesting economic realities could shape the decisions. "We are ready to step up our ambition from 20 to 30 per cent if the other major economies will also move up to the higher end of the pledges. This offer is still on the table and will stay on the table even after Doha," said the EU.
"We want a ratifiable amendment which makes way for ambition to increase during the commitment period," the EU added.
India, China gang up against non-committal rich nations in Doha climate talks - The Times of India
