Thaindian News

Durban, Dec 5 (IANS) As rich and poor countries continued to differ over extending the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012, China, the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, Monday caused a flutter by proposing a conditional legal regime after 2020, which the US termed as “confusing”. India and the African Union, meanwhile, maintained their tough stand on not agreeing to a new treaty.

The US has rejected any commitment to take a legally binding emission cut, saying it wants equal commitment from other emerging economies.

China proposed to take legally binding emission cuts post 2020 with five pre-conditions, including review of measures taken by the developed countries.

Commenting on China’s announcement, Todd Stern, US special envoy for climate change, said China’s proposal for conditional legal emission cuts was confusing as a legally binding agreement should be “non-conditional”.

“We are quite open to talking about what a legally binding agreement would be but not accepting it when major developing countries are not committed to take it,” Stern told reporters here.

Stern said the US won’t go ahead with any legally binding agreement “when we don’t know whose (countries) gonna be in and what way they are in”.

China’s chief negotiator Xie Zhenhua said: “We accept a legally binding arrangement with five pre-conditions post-2020. As long as principles of common but differentiated responsibility and equity are ensured, individual capability is guaranteed, we would like to take the legally binding emission.”

The conditions also include a renewal of emission-cut pledges by rich nations under the Kyoto Protocol, along with transparency on climate funding and operationalisation of Cancun agreements.

On differences with other countries, Zhenhua said that some joint efforts would help reach a middle ground in meeting the targets. “It is a multilateral arena and we can come out with agreement that is acceptable to all but not satisfying to all.”

The African Union called the European Union (EU) proposal for a new global treaty on climate change as “a political commitment” rather than a “legal commitment”, saying rich countries should first respect the existing regime.

The EU said it is ready for a second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol - which expires 2012 - if there are “mutual assurances” by other non-party developed nations and emerging economies to cut down their emissions.

India on the other hand came under pressure from developed countries over its rigid stand to not agree to any new global treaty. “There is a complete logjam over Kyoto Protocol and there is no light at the end of the tunnel,” said Ajay Mathur, member of the Indian delegation.

“They (developed nations) should act responsibly and respect the existing regime, and if they can’t keep their word, then they should be pointed out and not trusted,” said Tosi Mpanu Mpanu of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mpanu appealed to developed nations to show “climate leadership” to save the planet. “They have shown economic leadership, political leadership and even military leadership and this is the time for them to show climate leadership.”

EU Commissioner of Climate Change Connie Hedegaard said the world does not need any more time to think on what needs to be done, and rather should swung into action to check climate change.

“We need a roadmap on internationally legally binding agreement. We are ready to commit to the second period for Kyoto Protocol but we need reassurances that if we lay the brick of foundation, some other needs to follow,” she said.

Kyoto Protocol, which ensures legally binding emission cuts by developed countries, came into existence in 1997 at Japan’s Kyoto city. The US is one of major emitters that has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol so far.

China as of now is the biggest emitter followed by the US, EU, Russia and India.