Luxembourg, 10/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The fight against climate change is clearly a major issue at international level, and therefore a thorn in the side of the EU, which wants to see ambition, but not at any price. Two years after the failure of Copenhagen (COP 15 in 2009) and less than two months ahead of Durban, the 27 did not find it easy to agree on the negotiation strategy to be adopted for the 17th conference of the parties to the United Nations framework Convention on climate change (CO17 Durban , 29 November-8 December). The Environment Ministers of the 27, in Luxembourg on Monday 10 October, decided on the price of a compromise over the most delicate issue - under what conditions to agree to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and its corollary question - what is to become of the "hot air" quotas (AAU) which are undermining the efficiency of the protocol, in unanimous conclusions which were nonetheless a disappointment to the most ambitious among them.
Yes, but… to Kyoto II. At the cost of long discussions on the formulation to adopt, the EU has declared itself "open to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol", as long as the environmental integrity of this instrument is preserved and negotiations are launched in Durban to conclude a binding agreement for all major CO2 emitters, together with a roadmap. It is a question of putting pressure on countries such as the United States, China and India, which have so far made no binding commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and have certainly never said when they would be prepared to commit. This roadmap, which would serve to guarantee the credibility of the negotiations to be undertaken, would have to include a timetable, take account of the scientific emissions review of 2013 and 2015 and all areas of work envisaged, the Council states. This compromise provides that at the end of the second Kyoto commitment period, the two work approaches would converge into a single. No deadline has been set.
"We have a clear position and clear priorities. In the position of the EU as we express it, we understand that the EU cannot commit to a further commitment period without stating that we need to go further. The world needs all the major emitters to make commitments as well. The second commitment period is a transition towards a binding framework. We are talking about a fairly short period until the others follow suit", Connie Hedegaard, Commissioner for Climate Action, told the press, going on to call for an end to the gulf between the countries of Annex 1 which emit little and are reducing their emissions and those outside Annex 1, such as the emerging countries, which emit much and have not committed.
Andrzej Kraszewski, President of the Council, added: "the quantity of AAU on the market can represent a threat to the integrity of the Kyoto Protocol. Everybody acknowledges the problem, but it is excellent that there is no restriction on our adopting an option".
If the ministerial discussions were tough, it was because a group of countries (among them France, Spain, Belgium and Denmark) wanted the EU to commit to a second period of the Kyoto Protocol unconditionally. Other delegations (particularly Germany and the United Kingdom) and the European Commission were opposed to this option, in view of the fact that the EU currently contributes just 11% of the world's CO2 emissions. Adding Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway together, the joint contribution of these countries is between 15 and 16%. "The problem for the world at the moment is not the 11% that we represent. We have our legislation and the EU is achieving its reduction objectives earlier than anticipated", Ms Hedegaard commented.
Speaking before the press, the French Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet regretted the fact that the Council had not been more affirmative and shown more vigour as regards the second commitment period. "Negotiating two months in advance is a tactical disadvantage. Let us turn this disadvantage into an advantage by putting our position on the table to urge all others to take position", she said.
Yes to rules on hot air. As regards 'hot air' quotas (AAU, or assigned amount units) unused during the first commitment period, representing the equivalent of 10 billion tonnes of CO2 mostly owned by Russia, Ukraine and, to a lesser extent, Poland, the conclusions of the Council stresses the EU's will for a solution to be found on their use and carry-over in a second commitment period in such a way as to maintain an ambitious level of the environmental integrity quotas of the Kyoto Protocol. However, to avoid any gulf between old and new Member States, no mention was made of the need to limit the carry-over of these AAU. All delegations would have been able to support this need, but the Polish delegation, supported by Romania, declined to do so.
Internationally, the proposal of Australia and Norway is to work towards concluding a global, binding agreement in 2015. The EU has not so far taken position on this option, because it is continuing to argue in favour of the conclusion of this global and binding agreement as soon as possible. Unofficially, however, the Australian-Norwegian proposal is felt to be realistic and is the subject of consensus between the Member States. (AN/transl.fl)