Brussels, 18/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - For success in the international climate negotiations, pragmatism, simplicity and balance are the watchwords of Poland's Minister for the Environment Marcin Korolec, who is chairing the 19th conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 19, Warsaw, 11-22 November).
Korolec stated this to the European press, on Wednesday 28 September, and also to the European Parliament's environment committee (chaired by Matthias Groote, S&D, Germany), while giving an update on the preparations that are under way for the COP 19 negotiations and presenting his vision of what can be expected in Warsaw. MEPs responded with concern to his optimism about the possibility of paving the way, in Warsaw, for the conclusion, in Paris in 2015 (COP 21), of a global binding climate agreement, which includes all the parties and which would enter into force in 2020. MEPs also responded with concern to the idea that Poland - a country heavily dependent on coal for its energy supply and one which, for the second time in five years, will chair a COP - is not giving the required level of ambition to the negotiations. Korolec swept these concerns aside because, in his opinion, Poland's strong point - a country that in 25 years has moved from the status of developing country to developed country - is to be able “to build bridges, to play the role of mediator between the two groups of countries and lead them to negotiate”.
Introducing the debate, Groote spoke of the Polish nuclear power plants in Opole, which are highly criticised, and he said: “You are going to be greatly observed. A world agreement - this is our second chance after Copenhagen. We can't afford the luxury of missing this opportunity”.
In Korolec's view, the main political challenge for Warsaw is to try to set out the foundations for a new agreement - its rules and its structure, but not its text, which would be premature, he believes. And when he speaks about rules, he means “general rules” so that the text can be discussed in Lima (COP 20, Peru, 2014). Poland will organise a pre-COP on 2-4 October, which will bring 40 or so ministers together in Warsaw to debate all the points aiming to ensure “a balance between our level of ambition and the compensation for the losses and damage” suffered by developing countries.
“A balance is needed between climate initiatives and development. Many countries fear that the future agreement might be a brake on their exit from poverty”, Korolec warned, wanting the EU to be credible with regard to financing climate action in developing countries, and to contribute to the €100 million per year to be mobilised by 2020 “to feed the Green Climate Fund and other funds”. While the target dates agreed in Durban have been respected, the structure of the agreement is due to be made known during the second half of 2014 at the latest, before the Lima conference, the COP president believes.
“In Warsaw, we hope to lay the foundations of a new agreement in collaboration with France and Peru for the Paris meeting to be a success. The most important thing is universal application of the agreement and not only application by the EU”, he said, warning the MEPs against the pitfall of the Kyoto Protocol - which has never been ratified by the USA and for which the second period of commitment only commits the EU (only 14% of world emissions) and a few European countries like Switzerland. “Many countries like Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan have neither blocked nor ratified it because they quite simply do not feel concerned. I hope that the Paris agreement will be attractive enough for the national parliaments to accept it”, said Korolec, arguing for a simple but complete instrument, of which the negotiators might be able to take ownership and which they might easily be able to “sell” in their home countries.
One thing is certain. There is no question for Korolec that the EU might set itself other objectives, before the Paris conference, than those that are already on the table and have been so since 2007 - in other words, a 20% reduction in its emissions by 2020 and a conditional offer on a 30% reduction.
For the pre-COP, as for the COP, Korolec wants to innovate by inviting the world of enterprise and business to the discussions. And to those who, like Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Netherlands), accuse him of not having thought until now about inviting the association of coal enterprises, Korolec replies: “For the 19 years that the framework convention has existed, ministers and NGOs have always been represented. But emissions are increasing and industries relocate. We are hitting a wall. We need a representation from the multinationals and without this there will be no solution”. And he regrets that the EU has followed “the model of expensive energy while the US follows the model of cheap energy”. COP 19 will also dedicate a day to discussions among mayors “given that by 2050, 70% of the world population will live in urban areas”. Bringing the debate to a close, Groote said he wanted Korolec to keep his optimism. “You have a great responsibility. We support you. We will be there. It is we, the Parliament, who will ratify the agreement”, he said. The European Parliament will send a delegation of MEPs to Warsaw. (AN/transl.fl)