Thaindian News

Bangkok, Sep 28 (IANS) International NGO WWF is “worried about a mismatch between credible leadership in Asia and empty rhetoric in Europe and the US” on ways to tackle climate change. “While key Asian countries are offering concrete contributions to reach a deal in December, EU and US are emerging as major stumbling blocks.”
As delegates from 177 countries gathered here Monday for the start of a two-week preparatory meet for December’s climate summit in Copenhagen, WWF applauded Japan, China and India for outlining concrete action to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases.

“By playing an increasingly constructive role in the negotiations, they are confirming their determination to become the world’s next economic leaders on the basis of a green economy and low carbon growth,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative.

“Pledges such as Japan’s to reduce emissions 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 and that of Indonesia to keep emission growth 26-41 percent below business as usual projections by 2020 are bringing us closer to the global emission reduction targets we need,” said Carstensen.

“Both developed and developing Asia are finding their way to the top in the world league of climate action. Now industrialised countries, and in particular the US, have to follow Asia’s example, and after missed opportunities in New York and Pittsburgh the talks in Bangkok present the next chance to step up.”

The recent floods in the Philippines should remind delegates here that what they are discussing is not only a pile of papers but a document which could decide lives of millions of people, WWF said.

A tropical storm triggered the worst flooding in decades in Philippines capital Manila and nearby provinces. Hundreds of thousands of people have been uprooted by the floods.

While individual storms and floods cannot be linked to climate change, the science is clear that more frequent and more severe extreme weather events are already and will be an increasing consequence of climate change.

Hopes for an ambitious deal which would help protect the planet from irreversible damage caused by climate change will become very slim unless negotiators at the current UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks make significant progress, Carstensen added.

“The Philippine floods should remind politicians and delegates negotiating the climate treaty that they are not just talking about paragraphs, amendments and dollars but about the lives of millions of people and the future of this planet.”

“After months of haggling, losing time and arguing we have now entered the last phase and have an absolutely last minute chance to rescue the climate deal.”

The NGO said that the UN Climate Summit of heads of state in New York last week has given negotiators at the two-week meeting here a mandate to turn the 170-page draft into an agreeable treaty. “This is urgently needed to ensure the survival of vulnerable nations at risk from climate change.”

WWF said in order to prevent failure in Copenhagen and future climate disasters, negotiators in Bangkok should aim at cutting the UN draft texts by 40 percent by the middle of the conference and by 85 percent by the end of the talks.

“The main tasks are in the hands of rich countries which need to come up with ambitious reduction targets as well as finance commitments which will help developing countries to adapt to climate change,” the spokesperson said.

“Delegates are equipped with a clear mandate to edit at record speed and accelerate the drafting process,” said Carstensen. “Maybe big targets and big money will only be agreed in Copenhagen, but that can’t be an excuse for wasting time, at least the crucial groundwork must be laid here. We need clarity on what the key elements are for a Copenhagen climate deal.”