|
BALI,
Indonesia—As the UN climate conference here enters the
crucial last two days of negotiation, Philippine
delegation leaders said they see no breakthrough in Bali
but see progress as many countries push for commitments
on mitigation, adaptation, transfer of technology and
the financing scheme, into the “Bali Roadmap.”
“The
window of opportunity for us to address climate change
is here in Bali. But in this conference we see no
resolution of the contentious issues such as commitment
on emission target cuts,” Environment Secretary Jose
Atienza, Philippines’s lead climate change negotiator,
told BusinessMirror.
Though
seeing no breakthrough in the Bali conference, Atienza
said, however, that the Bali talks is setting the
process for negotiations to create new commitments in
2009, after the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol
expires in 2012.
“It
seems that we will not reach a consensus here. We
realize, however that the public wants to see concrete
results out of the conference.
That’s
why our negotiators are pushing for concrete projects
and commitments that can be realized during the 2008 to
2012 period,” he explained.
On the
other hand, delegates have also been split over whether
the Bali Roadmap should explicitly stipulate
legally-binding targets for carbon emission cuts for
developed countries in post-2012.
The US
has opposed negotiations to establish binding targets,
insisting on a roadmap that is open and flexible.
Meanwhile, the EU has insisted that the binding target
be negotiated and included the roadmap.
Chief US
negotiator HarlanWatson said they reject the call of UN
draft resolution for a 2020 target for deep cuts in
greenhouse gases by rich nations from guidelines for a
new pact to slow global warming beyond 2012.
“We do
support the Bali roadmap and the process here but we
will not commit [to] any cuts yet,” Watson said,
referring to a draft text suggesting that developed
nations should aim to axe emissions of heat-trapping
gases by between 25 and 40 percent below 1990 levels by
2020.
“This is
a serious challenge for all nations. There is no
exception whether highly industrialized countries or
poor nations. We should equally be concerned because we
only have one planet to save,” Atienza said.
Australia’s
move in signing the Kyoto Protocol created a big impact
on how nations view Kyoto. He hopes the US will also
join the pact and lead all nations in addressing the
irreversible impact of climate change.
“We urge
the
US to join and take a different tack and be open-minded in all
of these issues; it is time for real united effort,” he
said.
DENR
Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio on the other hand, told
BusinessMirror he sees the urgency of all nations to
come up with a roadmap.
“It is
very clear that everybody thinks that there is urgency
in the action to address climate change,” Ignacio said.
“Basically, international cooperation is necessary to
address this problem [and] no one can be exempted. All
nations, especially the rich countries, should be united
in tackling the changing climate.”
Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi said the Philippine
government and other developing nations support the IPCC
report submitted by the world’s leading scientists,
stressing that science tells us “time is running out.”
“We are
one in calling other nations to act now and recognize
the urgency of this issue. Delay means more destruction
and the poor will suffer,” Gerochi said. |
