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C O V E RIndian Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan (seated far left) and EU Climate ChangeCommissioner Connie Hedegaard (seated far right) meeting in an ‘informal huddle’ inthe early morning of 11 December to debate the nature and form of the Durban Platformclimate regime.point of utmost concern on the Durbanpackage. What was within reachwas a legally binding deal or a prospectfor such a deal. For the EU, therewas a need for a legally binding dealas voluntary means (in relation toemissions reductions) were notenough and international legislationwas needed. She said the KP did manageto reduce emissions. The EUwanted further progress through anotherprotocol or legal instrument butwas concerned about the words ‘legaloutcome’ as this put in doubtwhether Parties were ready to commit(to emission cuts). She said thatthe EU was ready to commit to a 2CPfor another five years and was almostalone in the KP. It was not too muchfor it to ask that after the 2CP, all Parties(including the US and developingcountries) would be legally boundto take emission cuts under a singlelegal instrument or protocol by 2018.Colombia supported the call bythe EU and wanted a legal instrumentunder the Convention by 2018. Switzerlandalso expressed similar views,saying that this was a new page in history.India’s Minister of Environmentand Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan, in apassionate and strong response to theEU, said equity was a centrepiece inthe debate on climate change not onlyfor India but also for the entire world.She said many Parties came to her indifferent tones and voices and told herthat unless she dropped the option ofa ‘legal outcome’ (in relation to theDurban Platform) India would beblamed (for blocking the negotiations).She asked what the problemwas in adding one more option.The Indian Minister said that shewould not be threatened by intimidation.Referring to calls for a legal instrument,she asked how she couldgive a blank cheque and sign awaythe livelihoods of the poor (and notlifestyles of the rich) when she did notknow what the document would contain.She asked where the principle ofCBDR was reflected and had no doubtthat efforts were being made to shiftthe entire burden of climate changeonto countries that did not contributeto the problem.Referring to the Durban Platformdocument, she said it was weak onCBDR as it referred to ‘launching aprocess to develop a protocol or anotherlegal instrument or a legal outcomeunder the Convention applicableto all Parties.’ Natarajan emphasisedthat she represented 1.2 billionpeople and that India had a tiny percapita carbon footprint of 1.7 tons andits per capita GDP was also low.She said that India must not bemade a scapegoat of the multilateralprocess. Referring to the Durban Platformdocument, she said that it was aproduct of six days of talking and allideas were put forward and what wascaptured in the document was thesense of the Chair.She reminded Parties that Indiahad placed the issue of equity on theagenda of the COP but this waspushed somewhere else and was notin the main text (of the AWGLCAoutcome document). She made a pleafor the issue of equity not to be heldhostage and said that it would be agrave tragedy if equity was put asidein Durban.She appealed to Parties to allowthe word ‘outcome’ to remain in theDurban Platform document as a furtheroption. She asked how this couldbe a crime and how India could beaccused of collapsing the talks.Xie Zhenhua, Vice Chairman/Vice-Minister of the National Developmentand Reform Commission ofChina, in a very strong response, supportedIndia. He said that the existingConvention and Protocol are legallybinding but questioned if Parties wereimplementing them. The existing legalinstruments spell out the principlesof CBDR, respective capabilitiesand equity. To deal with climatechange, all countries need to collaboratetowards common goals, in accordancewith respective capabilities,strengthen cooperation, and respondcollectively. Till now, some countrieshave made promises, but have notfulfilled them. They have not takenreal actions. Xie said developingcountries need to develop, protect theenvironment, mitigate climate changeand eradicate poverty. Developedcountries have to fulfil their promises,take concrete actions, and trulyachieve the objectives in coping withclimate change. Developing countriesdo not care what they are saying butneed to see what is being done. Manydeveloped countries have not fulfilledtheir promises. ‘We have done whatwe are supposed to do, whereas theyhave not done their part. What positionare they in to judge us?’THIRD WORLD RESURGENCE No 255/25619