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TWN
Info Service on Climate Change (Nov09/04) Dear friends and colleagues, Below
please find the press statement by South Centre on the final day of
the With best wishes, SOUTH CENTRE Press
statement at the close of the 6 Nov 2009 There was some progress in clarifying some issues, for example some new texts were discussed in finance and technology issues. They did not bridge the differences, but helped countries to clarify their positions better and thus enabled decisions on key issues to be made in Copenhagen (such as the setting up of a Fund inside the UNFCCC, and whether to set up a new executive body to decide on technology transfer issues inside the UNFCCC) However
differences on some key issues remained and in some cases deepened,
which is not a positive sign for First is the future of the Kyoto Protocol. What was signaled in Bangkok in early October was confirmed in Barcelona, that almost all the developed countries have decided to abandon the KP, to migrate to a new agreement, which is likely to be inferior – from internationally legally binding, to a collection of national efforts. The developing countries made clear in Barcelona that they would not accept this climb-down and that the developed countries have to make clear they will remain in KP and seriously negotiate a second commitment period (that starts in 2013) in Copenhagen. Second
is the very low level of ambition of developed countries in emission
reduction. Developing countries have called for an aggregate cut
of at least 40% by 2020 compared to 1990. The latest figures revealed
at Third is the continued attempt to shift the burden of responsibility to developing countries, and in violation of the principles and provisions of the Convention and the Bali Action Plan. Developed
countries at Fourth, the adequate means to enable developing countries to take actions, are still not forthcoming. On finance, the developed countries have yet as a group to respond to the finance proposals of the developing countries which rage from 1 to 5 percent of GNP. The EU’s recent announcement of a willingness to consider Euro 22 to 50 billion by 2020 of international public finance is inadequate, and more details are needed on this as well as Europe’s own share. On technology transfer, there is a reluctance of developed countries to agree to setting up an executive body to decide on technology issues and to effect technology transfer. An advisory group is not good enough, especially since there has been very little tech-transfer achieved under the Convention for the past decade and half. Fifth, there is a difference over the “shared vision” and a long-term global goal for emissions reduction. Some developed countries confirmed their proposal for a global 50% emissions cut by 2050 compared to 1990, and a 80% cut for themselves. However what was unstated is that this requires developing countries to also cut by 20% in absolute terms and 60% in per capita terms. Some developing countries have to cut by significantly more than 60% from the 2009 level. Thus the “burden” in percentage terms is almost the same. Yet the massive finance and technology transfers that may enable developing countries to take on a part of this challenge is not forthcoming. The figures have to be discussed more, the developed countries have to undertake “negative emissions” (achieve net emissions reduction, below zero) and the finance and technology issues have to be resolved beforehand. Differences also need to be bridged in adaptation, REDD, capacity building, etc. The
above are some of the issues that have to be resolved if Martin Khor , Executive Director mkhor@igc.org
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