Five Days Left to Tackle Climate Change
THE HAGUE, The Netherlands, November 20, 2000 (ENS) - The
president of climate change talks under way in The Hague says
governments could still be talking in 2008, such is the lack of
compromise.
The president, Dutch environment minister Jan Pronk, said he was
frustrated by the slow pace of the 6th Conference of Parties (COP
6) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention of Climate
Change. Many differences remain in this, the final week of
talking.
"I see movement in the right direction from the two extremes,"
said Pronk. If that movement can be speeded up by the
politicians, we'll be going in the right direction. There is a
real chance. But the chance is not big.
"We need the politicians' involvement to move things on."
As government ministers began arriving over the weekend to take
over the technical preparations laid down by their officials,
Pronk was helping demonstrators build a symbolic dike. Led by
Friends of the Earth, crowds built a one kilometer (.62 mile)
dike from thousands of sandbags, encircle The Hague Conference
Center.
Pronk promised to put a sandbag from the dike on the table at
plenary sessions of the conference.
More than 6,000 people are in The Hague, including ministers from
more than 160 countries, to tackle climate change and global
warming. Delegates are trying to finalize an agreement made eight
years ago at the United Nations Climate Change Convention in Rio
de Janeiro.
Faced with evidence that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide
(CO2) are increasing in the atmosphere and changing the Earth's
climate, the international community agreed in Rio to prevent the
harmful effects of climate change, such as desertification,
melting of polar ice caps and rising sea levels.
World leaders moved a step closer to this goal in 1997, in Kyoto,
Japan, where they agreed to a protocol that set targets and
timetables for emissions reductions by developed nations. The
Kyoto Protocol covers six greenhouse gases - CO2, methane,
nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur
hexafluoride.
Under the Protocol, 39 industrialized nations must cut their
greenhouse gas emissions to an average of 5.2 percent below 1990
levels by the period 2008-2012. But the Protocol will not take
effect until it is ratified by 55 percent of the nations emitting
at least 55 percent of the six greenhouse gases.
The United States leads a group of nations including Canada,
Australia and Japan, that want to meet their targets with minimal
reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions. They could do this
by adopting what the Kyoto Protocol calls flexibility mechanisms,
such as carbon sinks, emissions trading and funding clean energy
initiatives in developing nations.
The mechanisms are designed to make meeting the Kyoto targets
easier and cheaper to bare, but the 15 member European Union
leads those countries who argue that such mechanisms should not
be at the expense of real cuts in emissions.
Carbon sinks, or sequestration, would allow countries to earn
credits by planting trees to store CO2. Emissions trading would
enable developed countries to fund clean energy initiatives
developing nations in exchange for emission rights to continue
polluting at home.
Last week, the U.S. made an early concession over carbon sinks,
proposing that credits for forestry management related sinks
should be "phased in" during the first commitment period of the
Kyoto Protocol, which runs from 2008 to 2012.
Previously, the U.S. has opposed any restrictions on counting
carbon absorption by sinks, while the European Union opposes
their inclusion during the first commitment period altogether.
The U.S. also said it had compromised by agreeing not to argue
for nuclear power to be counted as a major way of offsetting
greenhouse emissions.
"Each American emits three times more greenhouse gases than a
Frenchman," pointed out French President Jacques Chirac at the
opening of the second week of the conference today. Epitomizing
the rift that must still be narrowed between sides, Chirac urged
the U.S. to "cast aside their doubts and hesitations," and share
its responsibility in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Other divisions remain. The Group of 77 (G77) developing nations
led by China argued Friday that unless their concerns are given
the "recognition they deserve," agreement will not be reached at
COP 6.
The G77 is disappointed by the lack of progress on capacity
building and technology transfer, the framework by which
developed nations could help the developing world deal with
climate change and its affects.
A host of outstanding issues need resolution by Friday if the
Protocol and Convention are to be ratified and implemented by
April 2002, the 10 year anniversary of the Rio convention. Pronk
has proposed dividing ministers into three negotiating groups
this week to tackle these issues.
If resolution eludes them, the talks described as "make or break"
by Executive secretary of the UN Climate Change Convention
Michael Zammit Cutajar, will have failed.
Oil giant touts environmental record
An ad placed in UK newspaper The Financial Times by the world's
third largest oil company Shell has angered green groups.
Under the heading "Cloud the issue, or clear the air?" Shell
extolls its "commitment to sustainable development, balancing
economic progress with environmental care and social
responsibility."
"Last year, we renewed our commitment not only to meet the agreed
Kyoto targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but to exceed
them," the ad continues. "We're working to increase the provision
of cleaner burning natural gas and encouraging the use of lower
carbon fuels for homes and transport."
Internet watchdog "Corporate Watch" called the ad "clever but
misleading."
"Like the other fossil fuel giants, Shell's impact on the climate
stems not primarily from its use of oil and gas, but from its
production," said Corporate Watch. "Oil produced by Shell alone
accounts for more carbon dioxide than most countries in the
world. Steps to address this much larger role would be
significant, but instead Shell continues a worldwide effort to
locate and produce more oil and gas that the world cannot afford
to burn if it is to avoid catastrophic climate change."
Cleaner, greener vehicles
The United Kingdom's deputy prime minister John Prescott picked
the COP 6 talks to announce a £69 million (US$98 million) package
of domestic measures to tackle pollution and promote cleaner,
greener vehicles and fuels.
The money means that over the next three years, the UK government
will more than double its annual expenditure on encouraging the
use and development of greener cars, which can cut pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions, as well as cut the cost of motoring.
"Motorists can play their part by choosing cleaner, fuel
efficient vehicles," said Prescott. "This is not only good for
the environment, it can save drivers money on fuel too."
From 2001 there will be a Europe-wide scheme of labeling for all
new cars providing information on CO2 emissions and fuel economy.
SOURCE: Environment News Service (ENS)
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