UN climate summit a disaster, a failure!
Thursday, 24 December 2009
From Fazle Rashid
NEW YORK, Dec 23: Barely four days after an "accord" was reached in Copenhagen on Global warming comes the news of a severe crack in it. The procedings at the 12-day Copenhagen meet, said to the longest international conference, was dogged by the difference between two biggest emitters, the US and China
There are several others now. Brazil, South Africa and Sweden, currently holding the chair of the European Union presidency, described the "accord " of not allowing the temperature to rise more than 2.0 Celsius before a legally binding agreement is reached next year, as disappointing, a disaster, a great failure and unacceptable.
The end result of the elephantine gathering that was the Copenhagen climate summit has laboured mightily and brought forth a mouse. As vague as it is toothless, the accord on curbing greenhouse gas emission, this weekend imposes no real obligations, sets no binding emission targets and requires no specific action by anyone, an analyst wrote. Certainly if consensus among all parties are required to formally approve a declaration then the UN process has severe limitations. Nothing meaningful will ever be achieved to tackle climate change if unanimity remains the rule. The weakness of the consensus politics has been evident for years at the Security Council where even the small group of five hereditary members are unable to oppose or halt injustice around the world.
The march to reduce greenhouse gas emission began 17 years ago in what is known as "Earth Summit" in Argentina. Millions of people who had pinned their hope of Copenhagen summit have been bitterly disappointed by the outcome.
China and Britain publicly clashed yesterday. China stung by criticism that it sabotaged a legally binding agreement to emerge at the Copenhagen for reducing emission of the greenhouse gases fired back saying the wealthy nations have sowed the seed of discord among the poor countries in a "cynical attempt to avoid reducing their own emissions".
The Chinese views came in response to an article by British environmental minister Ed Miliband who accused China of scuttling a proposal of reducing greenhouse gas by 50 per cent by 2050 with developed countries pledging to reduce climate warming pollution by 80 percent over the same period. British minister accused China of "hijacking" and thwarting the passage of the agreement.
China urged the rich nations to correct mistakes, fulfill their obligations to the developing countries in an earnest way and stay away from activities that hinder the international community, the New York Times quoted a Chinese foreign ministry official as saying.
NEW YORK, Dec 23: Barely four days after an "accord" was reached in Copenhagen on Global warming comes the news of a severe crack in it. The procedings at the 12-day Copenhagen meet, said to the longest international conference, was dogged by the difference between two biggest emitters, the US and China
There are several others now. Brazil, South Africa and Sweden, currently holding the chair of the European Union presidency, described the "accord " of not allowing the temperature to rise more than 2.0 Celsius before a legally binding agreement is reached next year, as disappointing, a disaster, a great failure and unacceptable.
The end result of the elephantine gathering that was the Copenhagen climate summit has laboured mightily and brought forth a mouse. As vague as it is toothless, the accord on curbing greenhouse gas emission, this weekend imposes no real obligations, sets no binding emission targets and requires no specific action by anyone, an analyst wrote. Certainly if consensus among all parties are required to formally approve a declaration then the UN process has severe limitations. Nothing meaningful will ever be achieved to tackle climate change if unanimity remains the rule. The weakness of the consensus politics has been evident for years at the Security Council where even the small group of five hereditary members are unable to oppose or halt injustice around the world.
The march to reduce greenhouse gas emission began 17 years ago in what is known as "Earth Summit" in Argentina. Millions of people who had pinned their hope of Copenhagen summit have been bitterly disappointed by the outcome.
China and Britain publicly clashed yesterday. China stung by criticism that it sabotaged a legally binding agreement to emerge at the Copenhagen for reducing emission of the greenhouse gases fired back saying the wealthy nations have sowed the seed of discord among the poor countries in a "cynical attempt to avoid reducing their own emissions".
The Chinese views came in response to an article by British environmental minister Ed Miliband who accused China of scuttling a proposal of reducing greenhouse gas by 50 per cent by 2050 with developed countries pledging to reduce climate warming pollution by 80 percent over the same period. British minister accused China of "hijacking" and thwarting the passage of the agreement.
China urged the rich nations to correct mistakes, fulfill their obligations to the developing countries in an earnest way and stay away from activities that hinder the international community, the New York Times quoted a Chinese foreign ministry official as saying.