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| Volume 7 | Number 16 | Date: 21 September 2007 |
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CLIMATE
TALKS ON TRACK FOR BALI? A key conference in Bali in December this year -- set to launch a process for agreeing on future action to mitigate and adapt to climate change -- is drawing closer, sparking political activity that is regularly making headlines around the world. Among developments over the last couple of months, negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Vienna, Austria from 27-31 August resulted in Kyoto countries agreeing on the need for cuts ranging between 25-40 percent under 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. This discussion will continue in Bali at the thirteenth Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC from 3-14 December. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders adopted a high-profile declaration on climate change on 8 September, heads of state will debate climate change at UN Headquarters on 24 September and US President Bush will host representatives of 15 major economies in Washington from 27-28 September to talk about future climate action. APEC meeting agrees aspirational climate goals The leaders of the Pacific Rim nations, meeting in Sydney from 8-9 September, agreed on the need to address climate change, and also signalled their support for the faltering Doha round trade talks. Climate change was in the spotlight at the meeting, and in the final Sydney Declaration, the 21 APEC members agreed to long-term aspirational goals of a reduction in energy intensity of at least 25 per cent by 2030 and for an increase in all types of forest cover of 20 million hectares by 2020 -- rather than binding targets. The declaration also clearly spelled out the UN as the venue for climate talks. Environmental groups and other commentators were quick to question the value of the Sydney meeting. The Economist suggested that the very existence of the APEC summit and the declarations flowing from it "creates the illusion that something is being done and so weakens other efforts to reach meaningful agreements on, for example, climate change and trade." Greenpeace Southeast Asia energy campaigner Abigail Jabines called the Sydney Declaration "a political stunt. Developing nations of the Asia Pacific region cannot afford to accept lip service instead of action." Julie-Anne Richards, of Climate Action Network Australia, added that "The world doesn't have time for voluntary action, what we need is real action, real targets and real timetables." Others said that the fact that the meeting strongly endorsed the UN as the venue for climate action -- meaning there would be no separate track outside the UN for countries currently not party to the Kyoto Protocol, like the US and Australia -- was significant, and pointed to strong lobbying by developing country APEC members to ensure this. The promoters of the Sydney Declaration also said that it added value by highlighting the need for both developing and developed countries to do their shares to address climate change. Australian Prime Minister John Howard called the declaration "a very important milestone toward a future global agreement" because it drew in both rich and poor countries. Next stop US Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is playing an active role in seeking to ensure that the climate talks stay on track and remain firmly anchored in the UN system. He organised a discussion at UN headquarters in late July, and climate change will be the topic at headquarters again at a summit coming up on 24 September ahead of the General Assembly. Ban said he hopes the summit will send "a strong political message at the leaders' level for the climate change negotiations in Bali." Regarding the subsequent meeting that US President Bush will host in Washington, Ban said "I think the main objectives and principles and goals we are working are all the same. While we welcome individual measures and initiatives by any countries, all these measures and initiatives should fit into UN efforts." Additional information The Sydney APEC Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development is available at http://www.apec2007.org/apec.aspx?inc=lw/lw_syd_dec ICTSD reporting; "APEC climate call is just hot air, say activists," AFP, 10 September 2007; "APEC Leaders Agree Long-Term Goal to Cut Emissions," 10 September 2007; "APEC leaders pledge political will, flexibility to advance faltering global trade talks," ASSOCIATED PRESS, 9 September 2007; "Industrial Nations Agree Step to New Climate Pact," REUTERS, 3 September 2007; "Targets Agreed for Greenhouse Emissions in Post-Kyoto Era," ENS, 31 August 2007; "UN Debates Urgent Action to Avert Global Warming," ENS, 31 July 2007. |
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