Talks on Kyoto Protocol resume at Copenhagen summit
Negotiators resumed Kyoto Protocol discussions after Environment
Ministers from BASIC countries left the scheduled informal ministerial
meetings protesting that the negotiations were being ignored. The Africa
group boycotted the proceedings briefly.
Indian Environment Secretary Vijai Sharma confirmed yesterday that
negotiators had resumed Kyoto Protocol discussions and co-chairs from
Germany and Indonesia had been appointed to head the process.
A member of Greenpeace demonstrate dressed as ‘Death’, one of
the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, on December 14, 2009 in
Copenhagen, Denmark. |
“India has also indicated very clear that both tracks should proceed
with equal speed so that the outcome is balanced”, Sharma said. “We are
hoping at this point of time because all the delegates are working hard
and there is still some time left before the high level segment convenes
and hopefully there should be good results on both the tracks”, he said
adding the expectations from this conference are quite high. The overall
Climate negotiations are moving under two tracks, the first track is LCA
under Bali Action Plan that requires parties to produce a legally
binding treaty before the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol
ends in 2012.
The second track is the extension of the Kyoto Protocol into the
second commitment period from 2013 to 2018 where developed countries
listed under Annex B will have to take binding cuts. The United States,
however, is not a party to the Protocol.
The BASIC countries and Africa want the developed countries to make
mitigation pledges under the second commitment period from 2013-2018 but
the European Union, Australia, Japan, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
want a document broader than the existing Protocol that puts obligations
on the United States and on emerging economies.
Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh made it clear that the goal
now is to produce two texts under the LCA and KP tracks by this morning.
Ramesh highlighted that the COP 15 President, Connie Hedegaard, had
stressed that these two texts would be presented to heads of state when
they arrive on today and tomorrow, and also mentioned that Hedegaard had
said that a document with minimal ‘brackets’ (alternatives within the
text) could also be adopted.
“That is our expectation”, he said. “We have made clear that heads of
state should not negotiate drafts or texts”, the Minister said that they
had received reassurances from the president of COP 15, Denmark,
Britain, US, Brazil and China but that Australia might still try to
initiate negotiations between the world leaders.
It is also expected that there they will be some kind of Copenhagen
Declaration prepared by the Danish Government. “We hope that will be the
result of a transparent consultative process and that it would not be
sprung on us out of the blue”, Ramesh said.
However, there is lack of clarity on this point as Hedegaard told
BASIC Ministers and the G77 chairs that that there will be no Copenhagen
declaration or political statement.
“There is still no clarity”, the Minister said. Noting that there was
a great deal of confusion on the several aspects of the negotiations, he
added, “It is not clear how the US will reflect its commitments given
the uncertainty on their legislation”.
Meanwhile, Ramesh reiterated that the integrated Africa-BASIC (ABASIC)
draft was ready in the wings and warned that if any of the other groups
sprang a surprise draft like the Danish text then the G77 countries
would put out this text. “We are holding it, if there is ‘ADANISH’ we
will produce ABASIC”, he said.
PTI |