Countries Struggle Toward Global Climate Deal
LYON, France, September 15, 2000 (ENS) - Two weeks of
international talks aimed at developing detailed rules for the
1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change ended today in Lyon,
France, with no breakthroughs reported on the key political
issues that continue to divide countries.
Whether even last minute ministerial negotiations now due to take
place in November in the Hague will succeed in overcoming the
obstacles remains unclear.
Here are the main Kyoto protocol-related issues that were debated
in Lyon:
* The CDM, or clean development mechanism for transferring
technology to developing countries: The focus of discussion is
which technologies will be eligible under the CDM. Some countries
want to limit eligibility to a "positive list" of renewable
energy and demand-side technologies. The EU is broadly supportive
of an early start for the scheme, but even it is divided over
whether nuclear should be excluded.
* Land-use change and forestry sinks: At issue is the
accountability of practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
While urging caution over the inclusion of sinks in the protocol,
the EU is again split. The Lyon-conference developed draft texts
on the relevant articles, but they still contain numerous "square
brackets," denoting disputed options.
* Environmental NGOs have criticised proposals by the USA and
other countries, that they say would enable emissions credits to
be sought for land practices that have been conducted for many
years.
* Compliance: Likewise, the key question of what should happen if
a country fails to comply with Kyoto protocol rules or its own
commitments. Delegations agreed on a framework containing both
enforcement and facilitative elements, and that failures to meet
gas reduction commitments should be dealt with through the
former.
However, Russia, Japan and Australia continued to oppose
so-called "binding consequences" for non-compliance.
* Joint implementation projects between industrialised countries:
Parties failed to agree on a proposed "positive list" of
sustainable projects. Meanwhile, it emerged that Russia, where
many JI projects could be sited, has failed to supply required
annual reports since 1997.
* Environmentalists estimate that official figures in fact
overestimate by a factor of 40 the potential carbon emissions
cuts from projects supposedly under way.
* Emissions trading: After much bickering, the EU and the USA are
reported to have agreed on eligibility criteria for engaging in
an international trading system.
There is still no progress on the EU's demand that access to
emissions trading and the other "flexible mechanisms" should be
legally capped.
SOURCE: Environment News Service (ENS)
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