Oxfam reports:
THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER 2009
The G77 and China are justifiably outraged about moves in Bangkok by rich countries to re-write cornerstones of the Bali Action Plan and the UN Climate Convention, international aid agency Oxfam said today.
“In Bangkok, not only have rich countries tried to change the rules of the game, but they’ve tried to change the game itself,” Oxfam’s senior climate adviser Antonio Hill said today.
“Developing countries are right to cry foul. It’s hard to see these moves as anything other than an attempt to weaken commitments that rich countries have made in past agreements.
“Fifteen years ago, rich countries agreed they would take the lead. In 2007 in Bali, they reaffirmed their commitments would be greater than developing countries and different in nature.
“Here in Bangkok, they are unpicking the threads of those agreements and trying to force the G77 and China to take actions that would be unfair considering the gaping hole in rich country commitments....
“The Bali Road Map set a clear path to Copenhagen. Rather than walking down the path together with developing countries, rich countries are now proposing a dangerous off-road excursion. ...
“What we needed to see in Bangkok was a debate between the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and the EU about what their respective efforts would be - their fair share of both finance and emissions reduction targets and whether they address the risks that the poorest people already face.
“Today, Norway has entered this debate and set a target of 40 per cent below 1990 levels, so we know what leadership looks like.”
Consistent with the Bali Action Plan, many developing countries are already doing their fair share by making significant steps to reduce emissions, and have signalled their willingness to discuss further action – provided that developed countries provided financial and technological support.
Mexico has already committed to halving its emissions by 2050. Despite facing huge development challenges, and with much of its population still living in poverty, China is a world leader in renewable energy investment, has committed to cutting emissions by a notable margin, and has offered support to help developing countries, including small island states and African nations, adapt to the impacts of climate change.
“The actions by rich countries over the past two weeks are even less acceptable given they are yet to deliver a serious offer on finance,” Mr Hill said. “Every time developed countries talk about further actions that China needs to take, they are shirking their own responsibilities.”
THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER 2009
The G77 and China are justifiably outraged about moves in Bangkok by rich countries to re-write cornerstones of the Bali Action Plan and the UN Climate Convention, international aid agency Oxfam said today.
“In Bangkok, not only have rich countries tried to change the rules of the game, but they’ve tried to change the game itself,” Oxfam’s senior climate adviser Antonio Hill said today.
“Developing countries are right to cry foul. It’s hard to see these moves as anything other than an attempt to weaken commitments that rich countries have made in past agreements.
“Fifteen years ago, rich countries agreed they would take the lead. In 2007 in Bali, they reaffirmed their commitments would be greater than developing countries and different in nature.
“Here in Bangkok, they are unpicking the threads of those agreements and trying to force the G77 and China to take actions that would be unfair considering the gaping hole in rich country commitments....
“The Bali Road Map set a clear path to Copenhagen. Rather than walking down the path together with developing countries, rich countries are now proposing a dangerous off-road excursion. ...
“What we needed to see in Bangkok was a debate between the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and the EU about what their respective efforts would be - their fair share of both finance and emissions reduction targets and whether they address the risks that the poorest people already face.
“Today, Norway has entered this debate and set a target of 40 per cent below 1990 levels, so we know what leadership looks like.”
Consistent with the Bali Action Plan, many developing countries are already doing their fair share by making significant steps to reduce emissions, and have signalled their willingness to discuss further action – provided that developed countries provided financial and technological support.
Mexico has already committed to halving its emissions by 2050. Despite facing huge development challenges, and with much of its population still living in poverty, China is a world leader in renewable energy investment, has committed to cutting emissions by a notable margin, and has offered support to help developing countries, including small island states and African nations, adapt to the impacts of climate change.
“The actions by rich countries over the past two weeks are even less acceptable given they are yet to deliver a serious offer on finance,” Mr Hill said. “Every time developed countries talk about further actions that China needs to take, they are shirking their own responsibilities.”
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