【12.19】World leaders reach 'meaningful agreement' at climate change talks

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【2009.12.19 澳大利亚人报】World leaders reach 'meaningful agreement' at climate change talks

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world-leaders-reach-meaningful-agreement-at-climate-change-talks/story-e6frg6xf-1225811948703

THE White House said today that US President Barack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and South African President Jacob Zuma reached a "meaningful agreement" for combating climate change. The deal was described by an administration official as "not sufficient to combat the threat of climate change but it's an important first step".
The White House official said developed and developing countries have agreed to listing their national actions and commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There will be a mechanism to funnel money to help developing nations pay for technology and projects to cope with the affects of climate change, such as rising sea levels.
The agreement sets a target of two degrees Celsius for the increase in global temperatures. Countries are supposed to provide information on the implementation of actions to cut carbon dioxide emissions through national communications, with provisions for international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines, the official said.
Details of the language on verification of steps to curb greenhouse gases - which could be critical to political acceptance of the agreement in Congress - weren't immediately available. The so-called transparency issue was a critical stumbling block in discussions between the US and China.
The administration official said "no country is entirely satisfied with each element but this is a meaningful and historic step forward and a foundation from which to make further progress."
Earlier Friday, Mr Obama met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the two leaders indicated they are close to agreement on a new arms-reduction treaty.
But on the climate issue, disagreements over fundamental issues continued into the evening Friday, despite efforts by the Danes and others to broker compromises.
"It is now clear there won't be a comprehensive accord," Italy's Environment Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo said. "There will be a text that refers to next year for a comprehensive agreement," she said.
A draft agreement circulated Friday said cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions by 50% by 2050 from 1990 levels are required according to science to keep the earth temperature increase below two degrees Celsius, according to a text reviewed by Dow Jones Newswires.
But agreements on specifics eluded representatives of more than 190 nations at the summit.
Rich countries should commit to reduce their CO2 emissions by at least 80% by 2050, the draft states.
The draft also drops a previous 2010 deadline for achieving a legally binding treaty to fight global warming.
Draft texts are emerging from a meeting of world leaders at the United Nations-sponsored conference on climate change, in a last-minute effort to hammer out a deal after two weeks of inconclusive talks by lower officials.
Earlier Friday, Mr Obama said "time is running out" to salvage a deal to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases, as he and China's Mr. Wen "made progress" in an earlier private meeting.
But Mr Obama warned that the US is prepared to walk away from the talks empty-handed, rather than accept a "hollow victory" in which developing nations refuse to allow their own emissions controls to be monitored.
"These discussions have taken place for two decades, and we have very little to show for it other than an increase and an acceleration in the climate-change phenomenon," Mr Obama said.
The White House later said that Messrs. Obama and Wen met for 55 minutes in a room at the Bella Center, and "made progress" in discussions toward a climate accord. The meeting ended at 1:35 p.m. Copenhagen time, the White House said.
A White House official said the discussion was constructive and that the two leaders asked negotiators to meet with each other, and with other countries, to see if an agreement could be reached. "They took a step forward and made progress," the White House official said. He said that the hope is to reach an agreement Friday.
Mr. Obama's speech appeared to only underscore the deep divisions that have stalled negotiations for the past two weeks. It came shortly after a last-ditch meeting with more than a dozen world leaders, in which he and his counterparts tried to find consensus on emissions targets they could commit to; financing to help poor countries respond to climate change; and a way to verify one another's emissions-related pledges.
But with the clock ticking down, Mr. Obama and his counterparts appeared far from the "meaningful" agreement that the White House had said was possible only a few weeks ago.
Mr. Obama was one of several heads of state addressing the conference early Friday afternoon. His speech followed remarks by Mr. Wen, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and ahead of addresses by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
With the exception of Mr. Lula -- who announced Brazil's willingness to contribute to the fight against climate change in the poorest, most vulnerable countries - none of the world leaders who spoke as of 1 p.m. local time had offered any major new commitments related to controlling their greenhouse-gas emissions. Instead, they largely repeated what have been their government's talking points.
Mr. Wen reiterated his country's pledge to reduce the emissions intensity of China's economy by 40% to 45% by 2020. But citing the estimated 150 million Chinese living below the poverty line, and his country's reliance on coal, he said his country would refuse to commit to a legally binding accord.
"We are confronted by special difficulties in emissions reductions," Mr. Wen said.
As the world's s two largest greenhouse-gas emitters, China and the U.S. are pivotal to any long-term deal to halt the atmospheric build-up of such gases. Throughout the conference, however, the two nations have been locked in a standoff over the Obama administration's insistence that agreements developing nations commit to be subject to some form of international review and monitoring -- an idea that strikes many developing nations' as impinging on their sovereignty.
Early reaction from delegates, environmentalists and relief groups to the leaders' speeches -- and particularly to President Obama's remarks -- was cool.
"This is disappointing," said Barr Bibobru Bello Orubebe, a member of the Nigerian delegation. "We expected Obama to provide leadership. But instead, he just keeps insisting on monitoring, and that intrudes or even undermines our sovereignty."
Environmentalists expressed disappointment that Mr. Obama didn't declare that passage of legislation capping U.S. emissions would be first priority once the U.S. Senate concludes a months-long debate over health-care legislation.
"The only way the world can be sure the U.S. is standing behind its commitments is for the president to clearly state that climate change will be his next top legislative priority," said World Wildlife Fund CEO Carter Roberts.