DISTRUST GRINDS DOWN NEGOTIATIONS
Adianto P. Simamora
THE JAKARTA POST/COPENHAGEN
The freezing weather here was unable to cool Thursdays atmosphere as distrust among negotiators remained high due to fears rich nations would use any means to render toothless a second deal on emission cut Delegates spent hours to hold negotiations not only on the text, but also the logo of the conference.
A Chinese delegate filed a complaint over the absence of the logo of the CMP (Climate Modeling Program) - a meeting that served as a"" platform to discuss the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012 - at the Bella center conference venue. s Other delegates from developing and developed countries, including Indonesia, also questioned the absence of the CMP logo on handbooks distributed to participants.""At the Bali climate conference, we printed both the logos of the COP and CMP in the booklets,"" Indonesian delegate Agus Pumomo said. Agus headed the 2007 Bali conference national committee.
Copenhagen is hosting the two-week meeting of the Sth CMP and the 15th COP (Conferences of the Parties), which discusses mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and financing schemes under the Convention.Developing nations, especially African countries, feared a similar incident to the one in Barcelona would reoccur. Delegates from developing countries walked out from Novembers meeting in Barcelona as they strongly opposed moves by developed countries to reject the Kyoto Protocol, which is the only legally binding treaty on emission cuts.
Most negotiators in Copenhagen have held intensive talks in the two years since Bali to formulate an agreed outcome on climate change.Noted activist Martin Khor from the South Center expressed concern that developed countries might try to extricate themselves from the Kyoto Protocol.""Unless negotiations continue according to Bali understanding, the negotiations will have entered a state of total anarchy,"" he said.
The Bali conference mandated the parties to agree to an emission reduction target by rich nations by 2020.The Kyoto Protocol requires rich nations to reduce emissions by 5 percent by the end of the first period, which ends in 2012 and will be followed by a second period.Khor said the talks now should lead to new emission reduction tar-, gets for a second commitment period to ensure there was no gap or legal vacuum for the Kyoto Protocol.
The Barcelona talks had also mandated parties to the Kyoto Protocol to determine an emission cut figure at Copenhagen. However, negotiations have been protracted and there has been no progress on the emission cut figure.The worlds largest emitters, the United States and China, exchanged barbs at separate press conferences over the emission cut and financial aid.US chief negotiator Todd Stern urged China to ""stand behind"" its promise to slow the growth of Chinas carbon output and make the declaration part of an international climate change agreement
Whatever actions China takes to slow down emissions growth should be transparent. Stem said, ""its not just a matter of trust.""China rejected the demand and slammed the US for failing to meet its 17-year-old commitment to pro-vide financial aid to developing countries and to reduce carbon dioxide (CO1) other gas emissions.""What they should do is some deep soul-searching,"" Yu Qingtai, Chinas chief climate negotiator, was quoted as saving by the Associated Press.
Anders Turesson of Sweden, representing the European Union, also accused China of blocking the EUs discussion with the US in the same room. ""That is detrimental to possible results here. This issue is relevant to the future of KP [Kyoto Protocol],"" he said.""I am not blaming the US, it is the G77 and China that are key [players] in keeping the issue of mitigation of developed countries in the KP.""Spanish negotiator Alicia Maon-talvo agreed with Turesson, saying there the ongoing process was being misused.""We dont have the possibility of using our space to negotiate,"" she said.