DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WANTS CURRENT CLIMATE DEAL TO REMAIN

BANGKOK, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- After almost two weeks of tough negotiations,
delegates are still far away from reaching consensus on enhancing the current
global warming deal under the Kyoto Protocol, with claims of it becoming a trade
negotiation forum.

The G77, comprising 132 developing countries with emerging economies like
China, India and Brazil in the driving seat, wants to retain the Kyoto Protocol
and resist attempts by the 42 developed countries to scrap it.

Officials attending the Bangkok Climate Change talk said the G77 wanted the
developed countries to fullfil their obligation under the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) instead of talking of drafting a new deal.

A Malaysian delegate said major economies like the European Union (EU) and
the United States were trying to evade their commitments to provide financial
support and transfer of technology by shifting responsibility to the developing
countries and private sectors.

"They are talking about a post-Kyoto and new climate change deal because
they are far away from their emission target. By insisting on a new deal, they
can renegotiate and skip their agreed obligations," the official said after
emerging from a meeting of G77 members.

Delegates from 180 countries are attending the talks here, ahead of the
December conference in Copenhagen where they are hoping to enhance the Kyoto
Protocol, with a second commitment period after the initial period, which
started in 2008, ends in 2012.

Another official said that among the sticky issues at the talks was the new
commitment period, with the G77 insisting on another five-year period.

"While countries like Norway and UK are on track to meet their emission
target, some like Japan, Canada and New Zealand are way off. We are asking for a
minimum 40 per cent, while small islands which are vulnerable if sea level
rises, are demanding 45 per cent," he said.

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005, sets
binding targets for 37 industrialised countries and the European community for
reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which amount to an average of five per
cent against 1990 levels over a five-year period from 2008 to 2012.

The UNFCCC recognised that developed countries are principally responsible
for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of
more than 150 years of industrial activity.

"We did not cause the emission but we are the ones suffering, with many
major disasters like cyclones. By right, at every commitment period, they should
come out with deeper cut of emission. But almost nothing has happened in terms
of financial support and transfer of technology," another delegate said.

Instead, the G77 group is claiming that major economies are diverting the
major issues at hand by putting the blame on developing countries and using some
non-govermental organisations to link economy development in their member
countries with climate change.

One attempt was to link deforestation for economic activities, such as
opening up forests for palm oil plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia, with
climate change.

But Malaysian officials said it was merely to discredit the crop as it had
become a strong competitor to other oil like soyabean.

Despite the stand-off, officials said the Bangkok talks was not a failure as
it provided greater input before the negotiating parties meet again in Barcelona
next month before the final showdown in Copenhagen.

But officials are also worried with the trend among developed countries to
link emission reduction with trade, citing he proposal in the United States to
implement import tax based on amount of carbon emission, or the EU's carbon tax
on airlines flying into the continent.

"Soon they will require exporting countries to list down carbon emission for
every product that we are exporting to their country," one official said.
-- BERNAMA