Brussels, 21/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Making the agreements reached in Cancún more concrete, but not hesitating to go further in Durban (COP17, 28 November, 9 December), is, in the view of José Manuel Barroso, the vital condition for not compromising the prospect of an ambitious and binding global agreement on climate change post-2012 (when the first period of commitments under the Kyoto Protocol expires). The president of the European Commission repeated this message in New York on Wednesday 21 September, during the dialogue of leaders on climate change held in the framework of the United Nations General Assembly, by initiative of Presidents Felipe Calderon and Jacob Zuma.
With the United States, China and India still refusing to agree to any binding commitment two months ahead of COP 17, his plea for decisive progress in Durban towards a binding agreement was a clear appeal to the emerging countries to take their fair share of the collective effort required.
“A balanced Durban package must include all major emitters and a clear roadmap and timeline towards a new, comprehensive, robust and legally binding framework. Only a comprehensive deal will work. Some call for the establishment of a second Kyoto period. However, several major emitters have made clear that they do not intend to commit to this. The EU is willing to consider a second commitment period - but only as part of a broader package”, Barroso said.
In order to make the agreements reached in Cancún a reality, it will require all parties not only to implement the agreements, notably the one on the technology transfer mechanism, but also to deal with all outstanding issues, Barroso stressed, listing 5 “gaps” which need to be filled.
He referred to the “ambition gap”, as the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets so far adopted by 90 countries add up to just 60% of the effort required to maintain the average increase of global temperatures below 2° celsius; the “transparency gap” in the absence of common measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) rules, which need to be brought in; - the “cost-efficiency gap”, which will require all countries - including the developing countries - to adopt new market mechanisms to make the attenuation of climate change more effective at a lesser cost; - the “coverage gap”, which can be filled if we “access additional sectors like agriculture or international air and maritime transport”; - the “funding gap”. On this final point, Barroso pleaded for the work of the G20 finance ministers to be included in the Durban discussions, in view of the fact that the “instruments that catalyse investment are an essential part of the future global agreement”. (AN/transl.fl)