Overview Of Key Party Positions
By Marianne de Nazareth
12 December, 2009
Countercurrents.org
Copenhagen: In a press conference held to brief journalists,Negotiator Dasgupta from India, Quintai Yu from China, Karl Falkenberg representing the EU, Bruno Sekoli representing AOSIS and Ambassador Chowdhury from Bangladesh gave an overview of key party positions at the moment in the negotiations, here in Copenhagen at the COP15 summit “Through the negotiations for the last two years, we have put forward our stand on core issues for other parties to understand why China and many developing nations ask for a certain set of criteria to be met, if they are looking for a fair agreement. Firstly the agreement must be based on the Bali Action Plan and the Kyoto protocol. Secondly it must contain safe guards for developing countries rights to develop. We will not accept anything which will prolong our poverty and lack of development,” said Yu categorically.
“ I agree what Ambassador Yu has said totally. In response to Falkenburg I wish to state that the question is not a reduction of emissions but who pays for it. In order to help developed countries reach their targets finance is of the essence. Annexe 1 countries must come up with the finance and effectively implement their commitments. That is what we are looking at but the answers are disappointing. Instead we see an attempt to change the rules of the game” said Dasgupta a negotiator and representative from India. “ Progress has been disappointing for the first week but the Indian delegation feels we will get a positive outcome in the end.”
“ The starting point for any text is the environment. The Danish or the G77 proposals, whatever they may be there is no single group that can solve the climate issue. We need to collectively reduce our emissions by 50 % by 2020. We need to find a solution that goes to the essence of Climate change. We fully respect the right to develop for developing countries but developing with carbon based development trajectories encourages poverty and does not control it,” was the view expressed by Karl Falkenberg the spokes person from the EU.
Chowdury allayed all fears on a G77 and China split. “We are rock solid and united and there is no shortage of people here at the negotiations trying to search for a split. All negotiations are rocky. At Bali and even at the Kyoto deal we finally stuck a deal only on the last day and at the last minute,” said Ambassador Chowdhury of Bangladesh.
“ We need a strong emissions reduction on the lines of common but differentiated responsibilities,” said Bruno Sekoli from Lesotho who was representing the AOSIS ( Alliance of small island states) “ We just want to be sure that the countries do not deviate from the Bali Action Plan as one of the core pillars.”
The EU heads of states have discussed funding of between 5-7 billion dollars as start up to deal with adaptation strategies,” said Karl Falkenberg. “ We have an impressive number of leaders who have promised to come from both the developing and developed world and they realize the importance that a deal is struck.”
