The west-east dilemma part 2
Posted on 07. Oct, 2009 by Jonathan Sundqvist in E.U., Sweden
When walking into the room to the press conference with G77 and China you could sense the tension in the air. There was something in the air that told you something important was going to be said during this press conference. After the introduction of the two delegates there, Lumumba Da-Ping from Sudan and Yu Qingtai from China Lumumba from Sudan began his very serious message and struck to the core immediately: ”It has become self-evident and clear that the intention from the developed countries is to kill the kyoto protocol”.
As you remember from the press conference with EU, one of the goals they have had in mind is a single treaty, with the emphasis of maintaining the Kyoto architecture. However in the view of the developing countries scrapping the Kyoto protocol might implicate that the so far low commitments from the industrialized countries get even more diluted. The Kyoto protocol for all the faults it have, still have a legal framework that binds the industrialized countries to do some emission reductions. In there is also the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility”. The countries with the least capacity and least contributions of emissions should not have to do as much as the industrialized countries.
In the press conference the G77 and China made clear that what they are seeing is the industrialized gathering together to kill the Kyoto protocol and a move to a less binding agreement where the industrialized countries are able to once again snucking away from the commitments made. They seemed seriously worried that might happen if there would be a brand new treaty in Copenhagen. After all, that’s what’s happened so far with the Kyoto protocol, a lack of doing what has been committed.
“If there is a political will, there is also a way” said the two delegates in the press conference and I couldn’t agree more. It is not as if this is an impossible issue to solve practically. However there is a need to get to the point actually do what’s infront of you.
So what on earth are the industrialized countries doing? Are they deliberately trying to get away from this as cheaply as possible? Or what is going on behind the scenes? Let’s see where this ends in part three.