As negotiators gather in Bonn for the latest round of talks this month, the LDC group has proposed a strong set of recommendations to achieve a legally binding agreement
The least developed countries (LDC) including Bhutan are pushing for a decision on the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in order to move forward in the climate negotiations.
The chair of the Group of 48 LDCs, Pa JarjuOusman, said Kyoto Protocol is an urgent issue that must be solved in the next three weeks.
“First we must set the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period at five years, so that action begins fast – and early. A longer commitment period would simply delay action, and the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries simply cannot afford for this to happen.”
While it was agreed that the developed countries should cut emissions by a range of 25%-40% compared to their 1990 levels by 2020, the LDC wants the emissions cuts to now be in the range of 40%-45% by 2020.
“The science is only getting stronger, clearer and more urgent. Therefore, the LDCs will not engage in any agreement that sets ambition for 2020 below the range of 40%-45% at 1990 levels,” said Pa JarjuOusman.
He added that anything less would jeopardize any prospect of the LDCs to combat climate change.
The LDCs submitted the groups’ formal submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which includes various demands.
“The LDC group comes to the Bonn climate change talks with a strong set of recommendations,” said Pa OusmanJarju.
“In the spirit of international cooperation and with our desire to see the UN climate change convention meet its objective, we urge other parties to join our call for these improvements to the negotiating process and its final goals,” he added.
The LDCs demand that a new legally binding agreement should take the form of a new protocol under the convention that builds on and enhances the commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
The demand also includes that parties should agree new rules to allow the adoption of the Protocol by a 75% majority, not by consensus as under current rules.
Others include a final negotiating text be ready by a full year ahead of the 2015 deadline rather than the usual six months deadline that the UNFCCC imposes and make commitments to mitigate climate change before 2020 a top priority.
“At last year’s conference of parties to the convention in Durban, parties agreed to complete negotiations by 2015, but such deadlines have been broken before,” said Pa OusmanJarju.
“Our countries cannot wait. We are already feeling the effects of climate change, but the time has come for us to be leaders in the international effort to address this global challenge,” he added.
The LDC also wants the new protocol to have as a key objective, the full implementation of mitigation, adaption and finance and capacity building among others.
It also calls for a monitoring, reporting and verifying finance and mitigation action systems to be upon those that already exist in the Kyoto Protocol.
No comments:
Post a Comment