S. Korean plan could help solve impasse at climate talks: official

COPENHAGEN, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's voluntary greenhouse reduction plan
could help resolve the impasse surrounding ongoing climate talks being held in
Copenhagen, a senior negotiator said Thursday.
Chung Rae-kwon, Seoul's ambassador for climate change, told reporters here that
his government's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from the
business-as-usual level for 2020 could serve as a role model for developing
countries.
The plan, announced last month, is not binding internationally but allows for
monitoring of whether targets are being met.
The envoy called the approach a "middle ground" between the legally binding
obligations for developed nations, or so-called Annex 1 countries under the 1997
Kyoto Protocol, and the exemptions for non-Annex 1 countries who are now coming
under pressure to join the fight against global warming.
If there are no sudden fluctuations in energy prices or the economy, overall
greenhouse gas output by South Korea should fall under the plan to 569 million
tons in 2020, compared with 594 million tons released into the atmosphere in
2005.
"The proposal has been favorably received by many developed and developing
economies," the official said, adding that Seoul's plans is similar to the one
outlined by China. Beijing, however, has said it will not allow outside
verification because it would infringe on its sovereignty.
That stance has created a gap between China and the United States, along with
other developed powers, and become one of the key stumbling blocks to forging a
replacement for the Kyoto deal, which expires in 2012. The two-week UN Climate
Change Conference being held in the Danish capital is to end Friday following
summit talks, and hopes are dwindling that a binding deal will be reached.
The U.S. and other advanced economies have said they are willing to offer large
sums of money to developing countries so they can join worldwide greenhouse gas
mitigation plans, but poorer countries argue the burden of slashing emissions
rests with developed economies. Major emitters including China, India and Brazil
have said that they cannot accept mandatory cuts.
Chung said that last-minute talks were underway so a declaration could be made
before the conclusion of the gathering. Without going into detail, the envoy said
negotiators are going over proposals and outstanding issues to see if a mutually
acceptable announcement can be made.
Experts speculated that any deal will probably be of a broad "political"
statement outlying the critical nature of having a climate change control
mechanism and urging further talks in 2010.
The envoy said that while he welcomed the announcement by U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton to set aside US$100 billion to fight climate change by 2020, that
kind of step should have been made much earlier.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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