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Nearly 200 countries to meet for Cancun conference

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Posted on November 16, 2010 by ecoadmin 

Low key event with modest expectations!
By Nishana Shukoor


Cancun, Mexico is set to host the 2010 UN Climate Change Conference scheduled to be held later this month from November 29 – December 10. Environment ministers and officials from 192 countries will meet at the Cancun summit to continue efforts towards reaching an international consensus on cutting carbon emissions. The summit is officially the 16th conference of Parties (COP16) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

When the much hyped Copenhagen summit of December 2009- attended by heads of states including Barack Obama and Gordon Brown, advisers and diplomats could not produce any legally binding treaty after exhaustive talks, expectations aren’t too high for the relatively low key event this year.

The only consensus that was reached at the Copenhagen summit was a far from satisfactory accord stating the nations would work towards limiting the global temperature rise to below 2 degree Celsius, and the developing nations would be provided incentives for using clean energy and for curbing deforestation.

The focus of the Cancun summit would be to achieve a legally binding global agreement to succeed the Kyoto protocol and to transform the Copenhagen Accord into a ‘functioning architecture’. However, as reported by the Guardian, several of the key players including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the EU Commissioner for action Connie Hedegaard and Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC have revealed that the likelihood of arriving at a final treaty isn’t high at Cancun either.

Despite the stipulations of the Kyoto Protocol that the rich countries bring down their emissions by 2012, many of the developed nations are still reluctant to enter into a binding agreement with arguments about burden sharing and funding initiatives figuring as hurdles to arrive at a final consensus. Optimism for a final binding treaty is still low, with two of world’s major polluters- U.S and China refusing to move from their opposing stances at the latest climate talks in Tianjin.

However, Europe and several other signatories of the Kyoto protocol and a majority of the developing countries have expressed willingness to formalise the emission reduction targets arrived at the Copenhagen summit.

Many of the developing nations including Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa have put forward the concept of a compromise at several of the international climate change talks. The concept of ‘compromise’ backed by the UN Secretary General of the UNFCC would require the developed nations to cut down their emissions and assist the developing nations which will voluntarily reduce their carbon emission. According to Rachmat Witoelar, chief of the Indonesian delegation for climate change, only a flexible ‘give and take’ approach would pave the way for a realistic, practical and workable final agreement.

With the bigger nations bickering about burden sharing and providing funds and technology to the developing nations, and the poorer nations reluctant to join in the pledges of the bigger powers responsible for initiating action, whether Cancun succeeds in at least clearing the path for a constructive treaty at the 2011 summits is yet to be seen.

More information and image from: www.mexico.vg

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One Response to “Nearly 200 countries to meet for Cancun conference”

  1. ecoadmin says:

    November 16th, 2010 at 10:04 am
     

    All eyes are turned towards Cancun! Let’s hope Mexico maintains the important magic?

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