Copenhagen Summit :
Wealthy nations accused of 'carbon colonialism'
by Philippe Naughton in Copenhagen
Britain and its partners at the Copenhagen climate summit were
accused of 21st century "carbon colonialism" today over a draft
agreement that developing nations say would discriminate against them.
The so-called "Danish text" was leaked yesterday and prompted an
angry reaction from the G77 bloc of developing nations, which warned
that its members would not sign an "inequitable" deal when the
conference ends with a summit of world leaders next Friday.
The G77's chair, Lumumba Stanislaus Di Aping of Sudan, went on the
attack again today, telling journalists that the Danish text "seemed to
secure 60 percent of the global atmospheric space for 20 percent of the
world's wealthiest nations".
Di Aping was especially critical of the Danish Prime Minister, Lars
Lokke Rasmussen, whom he accused of being desperate to achieve a deal at
any price.
He issued an appeal to Barack Obama, who is scheduled to arrive in
Copenhagen next Friday, not to join in any attempt to strong-arm
developing nations into signing a deal that would leave their countries
exposed to the ravages of global warming.
"We humbly ask of President Obama that the new dawn of
multilaterialism that he promised should not be simply business as usual
- the West prevailing at the expense of the rest of the developing
countries," Di Aping added.
European delegates pointed out that the text in question was dated
November 27 and had never been formally tabled. "It's a storm in a
teacup," one said.
Others said that the G77 was simply trying to head off any deal that
would oblige developing nations to commit to carbon emission limits.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, they are exempt from any such obligations.
The text also came in for criticism on the floor of the conference,
where a Singaporean activist, Amira Karim, won loud applause after
attacking it for overturning and subverting normal UN principles.
"This imposition without discussion is tantamount to carbon
colonialism," she declared.
But even within the G77 the divisions were clear.
The Pacific island of Tuvalu, one of the most vulnerable to possible
rising sea levels, fought unsuccessfully to have its own draft text,
submitted in June, formally adopted on to the agenda. The resolution
would entail massive aid to help vulnerable nations.
The proposal was backed by a string of island nations and by
delegations from sub-Saharan Africa but rejected by China and India, the
most powerful member of the G77, which blocked a proposal to set up a
formal working group.
The key battles being fought out in the negotiations include a
decision on whether the Kyoto Protocol should be allowed to lapse when
the current obligations it imposes expire in 2012. Developing nations
want to stick with it while Western nations including the United States
- the world's biggest emitter per capita of greenhouse gases, but which
never ratified the Kyoto agreement - want an entirely new agreement.
The UN's chief climate diplomat, Yvo De Boer, said that he expected
"two tracks" to emerge from the Copenhagen meeting: a continuation of
the Kyoto Protocol and a new agreement bringing in the United States and
setting emission limits on developing nations.
Another sticking point is who would hold the purse strings if, as
expected, industrialised nations agree to pour tens of billions into
"quick-start financing" to help mitigate the effects of climate change.
The United Nations estimates that the fight against climate change
may cost about $300 billion (Euro 184 billion) a year in the long-term,
and the Danish text appeared to hand over responsibility to the World
Bank. Developing nations have called for a global climate fund.
A possible compromise could emerge later today when four nations -
Britain, Australia, Mexico and Norway - propose a new green fund that
would handle the finances in any accord.
A British official said a document to be published later would look
at ideas for the fund, which would help developing nations to adapt to
climate changes.
-Timesonline.co.uk
Copenhagen, DENMARK : A young woman
demonstrates against a possible end of the Kyoto-Protocol during the
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on December 10,
2009. Environment ministers sought to boost UN climate talks after the
marathon meeting ran into turbulence, including a tough exchange between
the United States and China. AFP PHOTO |