GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES | KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL - 01 | 2009

COUNTDOWN TO COPENHAGEN
United Nations climate change conference
ended on a bitter note in the early hours of
Dec. 13 in the western Polish city of Poznan.
The developing and emerging economies
accused the industrialised nations of "callousness"
and a "vision gap" that were reflected
in their rejection of a key deal that
would enable the poor states to cope with
global warming.
The deal at issue is a special fund established
to finance concrete projects and programmes
aimed at adapting to climate
change in developing countries.
The Fund is to be fed essentially with a
share of proceeds from clean development
mechanism (CDM) project activities. The
share of proceeds amounts to 2 percent of
certified emission reductions (CERs) issued
for a CDM project activity.
The CDM allows an industrial country
committed to reduce or limit emissions under
the Kyoto Protocol to implement one or
more projects in a developing country that
would help reduce its emissions.
Such projects can earn saleable CER credits,
each equivalent to one tonne of CO2,
which can be counted towards meeting an
industrial country's Kyoto targets.
The mechanism is seen by many as a trailblazer.
CER is the first environmental investment
and credit scheme of its kind,
providing a standardised emissions offset
instrument.
A CDM project activity might involve a rural
electrification project using solar panels
or the installation of more energy-efficient
boilers.
The mechanism thus stimulates sustainable
development and emission reductions, while
giving industrialised countries some flexibility
in how they meet their emission reduction
or limitation targets.
When the special financing facility called
the Adaptation Fund aimed at helping developing
countries take to adaptation measures
came up for discussion at the Poznan conference
on Dec. 11, delegates of several countries
representing diverse groupings at the
UN argued that the special levy of 2 percent
on CERs should be increased to 3 percent.
This would provide additional money for
the current 60 million dollar fund that helps
poor countries protect themselves against
floods, drought and storms. While the industrial
nations admitted that billions of dollars
are needed for the challenging task, they did
not agree to increase from two to three the
percentage of levy from the carbon market.
This brought the talks to an inevitable collapse.
A source present at the meeting said
the opponents of the scheme were led by
Poznan Produces a 'Vision Gap'
By Ramesh Jaura
Maciej Nowicki
the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia
and Russia.
The collapse became evident about three
hours into the start of the final plenary session
of the UN conference.
Before that, Poland's environment minister
Maciej Nowicki, president of the Poznan
conference of parties (COP), as such gatherings
are called in UN jargon, had announced
that an Adaptation Fund that would provide
money to least developed countries (LDC) to
cope with climate change effects had become
operational at the Poznan summit.
"It was India which brought the collapse
out into the open, through Prodipto Ghosh,
member of the Prime Minister's Council on
Climate Change," said Joydeep Gupta, an
Indian journalist covering the Poznan meeting.
Ghosh is reported to have said at the
meeting: "In the 12 COPs I have been privileged
to attend so far, this is one of the
saddest moments I have witnessed."
Ghosh said the Article 9 review, which was
looking at the increase of the levy from two
to three percent, "fell apart for one, and one
reason only; that is the refusal of some parties
(countries) to experience the least loss
of profits from trading in carbon.
"Let us look at why this refusal is tragic
and painful," Ghosh told those of the over
3,000 delegates from 186 countries who
were still left in the final plenary session.
"Even now, millions of poor people in developing
countries are losing their homes,
their livelihoods, and their lives from impacts
of climate change. Most live in extreme
privation at the best of times; climate
change takes away their pitiable homes,
hearths and bread."
In responding to this situation, Ghosh said:
"What did we hear from the parties who
could not bear to be parted from a small
share of their carbon profits? That we need
to agree on the overall architecture before
they can provide any money.
"In the face of the unbearable human
tragedy that we in developing countries see
unfolding every day, we see callousness,
strategising and obfuscation. We can all of
us, now see clearly what lies ahead at Copenhagen."
"We're going to have to put much more energy
into bridging the growing gap between
the two sides," the Ghanaian delegation told
the meeting. "It's the vision gap and that is
not a good sign for the future."
The two-week long discussions in Poznan also
brought little progress on the most contentious
issues -- notably, cuts in emissions
blamed for global warming.
"What did we hear from the parties who could not bear to be parted from a small share of their
carbon profits?
24 KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL | JANUAR 2009