ENVIRONMENT: EU Furious over Weak UN Draft on Climate Change

By Ranjit Devraj Reprint | | Print |

Ranjit Devraj

NEW DELHI, Oct 28 2002 (IPS) - The European Union was furious Monday that the first draft of the ‘Delhi Declaration’, expected to be issued at the end of a U.N. conference on climate change here, does not even mention the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that binds industrialised countries to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Union was furious Monday that the first draft of the ‘Delhi Declaration’, expected to be issued at the end of a U.N. conference on climate change here, does not even mention the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that binds industrialised countries to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Thomas Becker, EU representative at the eighth Conference of the Parties (COP-8) negotiating the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), refused to spell out which party or parties were behind the omission.

But he saw in it an attempt to divert the course of the 10-day ministerial meeting that ends Friday. ”Without the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, it is difficult to see where we are going,” Becker said.

He added that the EU planned to take up the matter with the president of the COP-8, Indian Minister for Forests and Environment T R Baalu.

”This first draft does not at all satisfy the position of the EU. We do not think this is the way,” a visibly disturbed Becker said at a press briefing in which he dwelt on the ”passion” with which the EU had promoted the Kyoto Protocol.

Activists also expressed disappointment with the draft. ”It did not even begin to say or do what we need to do to prevent climate change,” said Steven Sawyer of the environmental group Greenpeace International.

The European Union was also ”not at all pleased” with attempts to link climate change with the issue of sustainable development, as advocated by several developing countries and by international activists at a two-day parallel Climate Justice Summit on the weekend.

Some activists argued that developing nations had bigger problems than climate change to think of, but Becker said that to link the two issues this way would ”not be wise from a negotiation point of view – not mature enough”.

Becker said this approach detracted from the core issue of addressing global warming, adding that he found too much emphasis on ”adaptation” to the phenomenon rather than on ”mitigation” of its causes.

”We think in the EU that climate change affects developing countries the most,” said Becker, who is from Denmark, the current EU president. ”We don’t want to get into a competition between climate change and other issues or any quid pro quo.”

Yet another irritant for the EU was Russia’s new position questioning the scientific basis for climate change and its calling of an independent World Climate Change Conference on Sep. 29- Oct. 23 next year.

”They should have thought about all this two years ago. The Kyoto Protocol is the basis for the EU’s position on climate change and we are not eager to rediscuss the whole issue,” said Becker.

Russia, expected to ratify the Kyoto Protocol this year, has now taken a bearish stance toward it.

Although 96 countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, these signatories’ cumulative emissions fall short of the 55 percent reduction of total emissions at 1990 levels – the level needed for the agreement to come into force.

Russia’s coming on board would help the protocol cross this threshold and come into force next year, since it is a major emitter of greenhouse gases.

Russian delegate and first secretary in the foreign ministry Nikolai Pomoshnikov said the work of translating the documents from COP-7 in Marrakesh in November 2001 were completed only in May, and that their evaluation by the government and then by the Duma or parliament could well take another year.

”But it is a political decision for the government to take,” Pomoshnikov added.

COP-8 president Baalu has asked the chief of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), R K Pachauri, to hold discussions with Russia to encourage its early ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

”India is eager to ensure a positive result to this meet in the form of a Delhi Declaration on climate change and sustainable development,” Baalu told reporters.

Other industrialised countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol are Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Canada however has indicated that it might soon do so, declaring here that it can ”move ahead without the U.S.”

”If the Kyoto protocol falters, it could take years to negotiate a new international agreement. The science suggests that we do not have time,” a Canadian overview document said.

Poorer countries are not required to cut greenhouse gases until the second compliance period beginning 2012, but are expected to begin making commitments.

But the main objector to the Kyoto Protocol at COP-8 remains the United States, whose chief climate change negotiator Harlan Watson declared here that accession by his country would slow down industrial growth by 35 percent. ”We will not ratify it – not today, not tomorrow not ever, ” he said.

Groups such as the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) accused the United States of trying to sabotage the Kyoto Protocol and replace it with bilateral deals.

”The United States scripted the Kyoto Protocol so that it could combat global warming without hurting its economy and then in hindsight realised that even the modest target it committed itself to put too much burden on its citizens’ lifestyles,” said the CSE’s Anju Sharma.

The United States accounted for 36 percent of industrialised countries’ carbon dioxide emissions in 1990.

Apart from the United States, another Kyoto Protocol opponent was major oil producer Saudi Arabia, said Athena Ronquillo-Ballesteros, campaign manager for Greenpeace. ”Both countries seemed to be working together to create polarisations and sidetrack main issues,” she said. ”It is clear that Saudi Arabia does not want any current or future action on climate change,” added Jennifer Morgan of the World Wildlife Fund.