 |
|
|
Climate Deal Reached in Bonn |
|
By Cat Lazaroff Environmental News Service Photos: International Institute for Substantial Development
The meeting will now continue through Friday and start the process of translating this agreement into more detailed legal decisions. After all night negotiations on how to enforce compliance with the protocol, agreement was reached this morning. The draft decision, contained in two informal documents, sets out a political text outlining core elements of the agreement and the compromise on compliance. Consequences for non-compliance with emissions limits to be applied by the enforcement branch shall aim at ensuring "environmental integrity" instead of "reparation of damage to the environment." The clause stating that payments be made to "repair damage to the environment" is deleted, and COP-6 adopts the compliance regime." "Today’s agreement will keep up the pressure for early emissions reductions by governments and the private sector in the developed world," said Michael Zammit Cutajar, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). "It should also strengthen financial and technological support to developing countries to enable them to take action on climate change. The next step is for developed country governments to ratify the Protocol so that it can enter into force as quickly as possible - preferably by 2002." While the agreement is not perfect, delegates agree, it includes a number of steps that signal progress, such as the creation of three new climate funds for the developing countries: an adaptation fund, a fund to assist with implementing climate related measures, and a fund for the least developed countries.
Toepefer paid tribute to Pronk, saying, "His strong dedication to a transparent process and his creativity in finding new solutions to difficult problems helped create the positive atmosphere and growing trust between the negotiating partners that brought about the final result." Speaking for the G-77/China group of developing countries, Ambassador Bagher Asadi of Iran said this is an "honorable deal" that represents a historic achievement and "the triumph of multilateral negotiations over unilateralism." The United Nations' senior environment official welcomed the compromise agreement reached at the climate talks. "The compromise paper which was achieved after intensive and difficult negotiations, could provide the basis for a broad ratification of the Kyoto Protocol," said Klaus Toepfer, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). "It was extremely important to get a common agreement here in Bonn so as to advance the Kyoto mechanisms and keep the process alive," he said. "There is still much hard work to do in finalizing the details surrounding implementation. But the important thing is that we now have the political will to move forward. UNEP stands ready to support this on going process and especially the preparation of the next round of climate talks, COP-7, scheduled to start in Marrakech in October," said Toepfer. On behalf of the Belgian Presidency of the European Union, which led the push for agreement, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Louis Michel said he was pleased with the flexible attitude displayed by the vast majority of countries, including Japan.
But the United States is not likely to do so the U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, said today in Rome where she and President Bush had been attending the G-8 Summit on the weekend. "I don't think that it's a surprise to anyone that that United States believes that this particular protocol is not in its interests, nor do we believe that it really addresses the problem of global climate change. And we've said that. I think we'll continue to say that. But the President has also made very clear that he wants to achieve the goal of reduced greenhouse emissions - greenhouse gas emissions, and that we're going to work very hard to do so," she said. Chief U.S. negotiator Paula Dobriansky made it clear the United States will not be contributing to the three new climate funds for the developing countries. She noted that the Conference of Parties recognizes a segregation between funding under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to which the U.S. is a Party, and the Kyoto Protocol. The fact that the United States did not seek to block consensus in Bonn does not change her country’s view that the protocol is "not sound policy," she said. Speaking for the European Union, Belgian State Secretary Olivier Deleuze said the agreement is historic and very positive for the international community. Referring to the United States, he said the door has been left open for a country that considers that the Protocol is not the best tool to address climate change, to join at a later stage. Regardless of the U.S.'s non-participation, Toepfer is pleased with the progress made by negotiators in Bonn. "Today's agreement means it is still possible that the Kyoto Protocol will come into force by the time the World Summit on Sustainable Development convenes in Johannesburg next year. This was a key goal set down by world leaders in last year's UN Millennium Declaration," he said. Under the Kyoto Protocol, 38 industrialized nations have agreed to cut their emissions of six greenhouse gases linked to global warming. The countries who ratify must reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to an average of 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during the five year period 2008 to 2012. The protocol will not take effect until it is ratified by 55 percent of the nations responsible for at least 55 percent of the heat-trapping emissions. So far, 36 countries have ratified, including one industrialized country, Romania. The emissions of developing nations will be controlled by subsequent negotiations under the climate treaty.
Individual country quotas were set; the result is that sinks will account for only a fraction of the emissions reductions that can be counted towards the Kyoto targets. The meeting also adopted the rules governing the Clean Development Mechanism, through which developed countries can invest in climate friendly projects in developing countries and receive credit for the emissions avoided by these projects. The rules specify that energy efficiency, renewable energy, and forest sink projects can qualify for the CDM, while developed Parties are to refrain from using nuclear facilities in the CDM. An executive board has been set up to oversee the Mechanism. Other rules address the international emissions trading regime, which enables developed countries to buy and sell emissions credits amongst themselves, and the Joint Implementation regime, under which industrialized countries can invest in projects in countries with economies in transition. The Bonn agreement emphasizes that all three of the above mechanisms should be supplemental to domestic action and that domestic action shall thus constitute a significant element of the effort made by each Party. The Bonn conference has been attended by some 4,500 participants from 180 countries, including 88 ministers. |
Agreement is reached, without the United States, on the Kyoto Protocol 
Jan Pronk 
Protesters outside the conference 
© 1997-2002 BEI