Should the USA submit to Copenhagen treaty?

[Banjo]

Oh no, Obama is going to ruin everything! Run for your lives!

 

[anakin]

:Ohno::Ohno::Ohno:

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Source: BBC News - Obama climate summit attendance welcomed in Europe

President Obama's decision to attend the UN climate talks in Copenhagen has been welcomed by European leaders.
Swedish Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren said Mr Obama's presence next month would raise expectations.
The US earlier announced that President Obama would pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions in several stages, beginning with a 17% cut by 2020.
However, BBC North America editor Mark Mardell says many environmentalists regard the US targets as disappointing.
'Ambitious global deal'
UN climate chief Yvo de Boer said Mr Obama's presence in Copenhagen would "be critical to a good outcome".
Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said that Mr Obama's visit "emphasises the president's will to contribute to an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen".
President Obama will arrive at the summit on 9 December, two days after it opens.
But he will not stay for the end of the 12-day meeting, when delegates are hoping to pull together a deal.

MARK MARDELL

The president may regard climate change as a pressing problem, but many Americans don't
Mark Mardell, BBC North America editor

Read Mark's thoughts in full
While in Europe he will travel to Oslo to collect his Nobel Peace Prize, officials said.
The UN summit aims to draw up a new treaty to supplant the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, although observers say this is unlikely.
US officials said Washington would pledge a 17% cut in emissions from 2005 levels by 2020, 30% by 2025, 42% by 2030 and 83% by 2050.
However, most other countries' targets are given in comparison with 1990 figures.
BBC environment correspondent Richard Black says that on that basis the US figure amounts to just a few percentage points, as its emissions have risen by about 15% since 1990.
This is much less than the EU's pledge of a 20% cut over the same period, or a 30% cut if there is a global deal; and much less than the 25-40% figure that developing countries are demanding.
Mr Carlgren, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said he was pleased the US would deliver an emissions reduction target, but added: "It needs to be sufficiently ambitious.
"An agreement in Copenhagen will stand or fall on sufficiently ambitious targets by the US and China."
Delegations from 192 countries will be attending the summit.
Leaders saying they will attend include UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
European Commission President Jose Manual Barroso said it was essential for as many world leaders as possible to attend.
Hu Jintao, president of the world's largest polluter, China, is yet to commit to attending.
The US is the second largest polluter after China.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Mods... Please merge with this thread:

http://www.alldeaf.com/war-political-news/71221-should-usa-submit-copenhagen-treaty-2.html

 

[~SG~]

Mod's Note:

Thread's merged.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Source: BBC News - China unveils emissions targets ahead of Copenhagen

China unveils Copenhagen targets

China has unveiled its first firm target for limiting greenhouse gas emissions, two weeks before a global summit on climate change in Copenhagen.

Beijing said it would aim to reduce its "carbon intensity" by 40-45% by the year 2020, compared with 2005 levels.

Carbon intensity, China's preferred measurement, is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each unit of GDP.

But our correspondent says it does not mean China's overall levels of carbon dioxide will start falling.

Its economy is still growing and is mostly fuelled by polluting coal, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing.

It will be at least a couple of decades before China's emissions peak, so it is likely to remain the largest polluter for some time to come, he adds.

But greenhouse gas emissions in China have not been rising as fast as its economy has been growing.

The Copenhagen UN summit - between 7-18 December - aims to draw up a treaty to succeed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, although observers say this is unlikely.

ANALYSIS
Richard Black, BBC News environment correspondent

The 40-45% target for cutting carbon intensity is ambitious - more ambitious than many observers had expected.

But it doesn't mean China's emissions will fall - in fact they are still likely to rise, with the rate at which economic growth rises outstripping the rate at which carbon intensity falls.

This is exactly the kind of plan that major developing countries were supposed to take to the Copenhagen summit.

Coming on the heels of President Obama's decision to put numbers on the table for cutting US emissions, it is likely to make discussions in Copenhagen a lot more straightforward.

But whether developing countries are impressed by the size of the US commitment is another matter.

Beijing also said on Thursday that Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao would attend the talks.

That confirmation came a day after US President Barack Obama said he would go to the summit.

The US - the second largest polluter after China - said President Obama would offer to cut US emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020.

But the offer was less than hoped for by the EU, Japan and UN scientists - most other countries' targets are given in comparison with 1990 figures.

BBC environment correspondent Richard Black says that on that basis the US figure amounts to just a few percentage points, as its emissions have risen by about 15% since 1990.

This is much less than the EU's pledge of a 20% cut over the same period, or a 30% cut if there is a global deal; and much less than the 25-40% figure that developing countries are demanding.

President Obama's offer reflects figures in a bill narrowly passed by the House of Representatives in June, but yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

“ This is definitely a very positive step China is taking, but we think China can do more ”
Yang Ailun Greenpeace China

He will arrive at the summit after it opens and will not stay until the end, when delegates hope to stitch together a deal. While in Europe, he will also collect his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

Thursday's announcement by China marks the first time it has issued numerical targets for plans to curb the growth of greenhouse gas emissions.

A statement from Beijing's State Council, or cabinet, said: "This is a voluntary action taken by the Chinese government based on its own national conditions and is a major contribution to the global effort in tackling climate change," Xinhua news agency reported.

Our Beijing correspondent says this is a commitment to make Chinese factories and power plants use fuel more efficiently and get better results.

China is showing that it wants to play a leading role in tackling global climate change, he adds.

It has already made a pledge to increase its renewable energy targets to grow more forests and develop green industries.

Yang Ailun, Greenpeace China's climate campaign manager, told AFP news agency: "This is definitely a very positive step China is taking, but we think China can do more than this."

 

[evb1200]

Any president who does not upheld his mandate that he received from his people can find himself in hot water.

But now I would like to ask the Americans here.
If its true that the USA is the major poluter and simply refuse to sign the treathy as it may lead to expensive changes (read losses) in many factories, then the USA are holding the rest of the world hostage. Does the USA chose profits before health? True or false?

 

[netrox]

a lot of so called libertarians think they are entitled the right to produce harmful products and sell them to consumers.

 

[kokonut]

Obama living the life of a lie on global warming by going to Copenhagen.

Why am I not surprised?

Looks like Obama made some back door deals with China during his visit to China. No wonder he bowed so much.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

The pressure is on... daily...

CBC News - World - Groups target Canada's climate policies

Scientists and lobby groups are calling for Canada's suspension from the Commonwealth over its failure to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals, The Guardian newspaper reported Thursday.

"If the Commonwealth is serious about holding its members to account, then threatening the lives of millions of people in developing countries should lead to the suspension of Canada's membership immediately," said Saleemul Huq, a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Huq's comments were made ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that began Friday in the Caribbean. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is attending.

Other groups including the World Development Movement, the Polaris Institute and Greenpeace support the plan, according to The Guardian.

Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2000, pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent from 1990 levels by the commitment period ending in 2012. By 2007, its emissions were 34 per cent above its reduction target.

December's global climate summit in Copenhagen has raised the temperature at what is usually a low-key meeting of leaders from Britain's former colonial empire.

Leaders of the 53-nation group, whose profile has waned in recent years, say they now have a chance to influence the global debate.

"What we can do is to raise our voices politically," said Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago, which is hosting the biennial Commonwealth meeting. "We feel can have some effect in influencing the discussions in Denmark."

Others apparently agree. This year's meeting is drawing leaders from outside the Commonwealth such as Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and, most unusually, French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Manning stressed to journalists Thursday that the leaders would not be negotiating the details of a climate treaty in their private meetings. Rather, they would be working out a statement that reflects a huge segment of world opinion, a quarter of the world's countries.

"A statement from countries as diverse as those that you find in the Commonwealth is a statement that would be much more reflective of world than would otherwise be the case," he said.

The Queen speaks during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting on Friday. (Andres Leighton/Associated Press)Queen Elizabeth II, head of the Commonwealth, addressed the need for action on climate change in her opening remarks Friday.

"The threat to our environment is not a new concern but it is now a global challenge that will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come," the Queen told delegates.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also attending the meeting, has called for a strong statement warning of the economic and environmental dangers of letting climate change go unchecked.

Brown proposed a $17.5 billion Cdn fund as part of any Copenhagen agreement to help poorer countries reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change.

Britain would contribute about $1.4 billion to the effort, which he said could help break the deadlock over emission cuts by reassuring poorer countries that they would receive help in making the transition.

"We have got to provide some money to help that," Brown said. "Britain will do so, the rest of Europe will do so and I believe America will do so as well."

Sarkozy is a surprising participant at the English-speaking meeting, but the French leader has been a vocal advocate for setting ambitious goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions at December's summit in Copenhagen. He is expected to hold separate private meetings Friday with Brown and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Commonwealth, established in 1949 and made up almost entirely of former British colonies, promotes democracy, good government and education.

Commonwealth needs more aggressive role: NGO

But the mission seems to be fading: A new report by the Royal Commonwealth Society, a non-governmental organization, said its polling found "members of the public are largely unaware of what the Commonwealth is or does" and called for a more aggressive role in international affairs.

Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, the director of the society, said he was pleased to see the heads of government focusing on climate change at such a key moment but fears the organization hasn't really changed — it's only tackling a relevant issue by coincidence.

The leaders who are coming to Trinidad, he said, are here this week because it's the largest gathering of leaders before Copenhagen.

"We deserve better than that," he said. "We aspire to be better than that as the Commonwealth family."

Those hoping for strong words on at least one human rights issue have already been disappointed.

Both Manning and Kamalesh Sharma, the secretary general of the Commonwealth, declined to condemn a proposed law in Uganda that imposes life imprisonment for homosexual acts and the death penalty for having homosexual sex while HIV positive. The law also sets prison terms for people who do not report known acts of homosexuality.

Manning declined comment, saying it was an internal matter, while Sharma said he hoped the bill would be changed before the Ugandan parliament takes a final vote on it.

"We must show our faith that this is a process which is going to deliver in the end the appropriate result," he said.

With files from The Associated Press

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

I know this got nothing to do with American sovereignty, but what is going on in other countries surrounding this event will influence the White House's decisions.

Source: BBC News - China carbon cut target puts pressure on India

China carbon cuts pressure India
China's decision to unveil carbon emissions targets two weeks before the Copenhagen climate change summit has put pressure on India, a minister says.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said China's decision is a "wake-up call to India".

India, like China previously, says it will not commit to cuts until developed nations also pledge to meet targets.

China said this week it aimed to reduce its "carbon intensity" by 40-45% by the year 2020, compared with 2005 levels.

Carbon intensity, China's preferred measurement, is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each unit of GDP.

According to a recent government report, India's greenhouse gas emissions will rise from about 1.2bn tonnes at present to between 4bn and 7bn by 2030.

'Flexible"

Mr Ramesh says India might have to look to being "flexible" about its stance after China's announcement.

"China has given a wake-up call to India," Mr Ramesh told the Hindustan Times newspaper.

"We've to think hard about our climate strategy now and look for flexibility... to avoid being isolated at Copenhagen.

Mr Ramesh said "the flexibility can be achieved without taking binding emission cuts".

Mr Ramesh had said in September that India would be prepared to set itself a non-binding carbon emissions target that could be "shared with the rest of the world".

But no announcement has been made by the government since.

The government report, published in September, says India's per-capita emissions will be much lower than major industrialised countries.

The report will form the basis of India's negotiating position at the Copenhagen climate change conference in December.

At present India accounts for about 5% of global carbon emissions. China, the US and Russia are placed higher.

There is growing international pressure on India to sign up to emission cuts at the December summit, something which it is refusing to do.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8382014.stm

Commonwealth talks target climate
Commonwealth leaders have begun meeting in Trinidad with climate change high on the agenda in the last major summit before the Copenhagen climate talks.

For the first time, a number of other world leaders have been invited to take part in the biennial meeting.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Danish PM Lars Rasmussen are attending to give weight to any statement on climate change.

Another key issue will be Rwanda's bid to join the Commonwealth.

The 60th anniversary Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Port of Spain will also discuss the issue of the venue for the 2011 Commonwealth summit - with the UK vowing to block Sri Lanka's bid.

Rising sea levels

The global summit on climate change is due to start in Copenhagen on 7 December, and the topic is the only issue on Commonwealth summit's agenda for the first day.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has described the meeting as "an important springboard towards Copenhagen".

Opening the Trinidad meeting, Queen Elizabeth II said the Commonwealth had an opportunity to lead once more on climate change.

"The threat to our environment is not a new concern but it is now a global challenge which will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come," she said.

"Many of those affected are among the most vulnerable and many of the people least well able to withstand the adverse effects of climate change live in the Commonwealth."

About half of the Commonwealth's members are island states, many of them threatened by rising sea levels.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who is hosting the three-day meeting, said he hoped the summit could boost momentum for an agreement on carbon emissions at Copenhagen, amid "concerns about the way the negotiations were going".

"We hope to arrive at a political statement that can add value to the process that will culminate in Copenhagen next month... what we can do is raise our voices politically," he said.

The Commonwealth's 53 nations comprise nearly two billion people, a third of the planet's population.

The leaders are meeting days after pledges by the US and China to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns that the Copenhagen meeting could fail to agree substantial cuts.

India has admitted that China's decision to unveil emissions targets two weeks before the Copenhagen summit has put it under pressure.

Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said China's decision was a "wake-up call to India".

But in another Commonwealth country, Australia, the government's plans to enact a law for an emissions trading scheme have been thrown into chaos by a revolt within the opposition Liberal Party, whose support is required to pass the bill.

Rwanda membership

The summit will also discuss Rwanda's entry into the English-speaking club.

THE COMMONWEALTH
Made up of former British colonies, dependencies and other territories, plus Mozambique
Founded in 1931
Currently 53 members, with combined population of 1.8 billion
Headed by British monarch, but no allegiance to Crown since 1947
Heads of government meet every two years
The Francophone nation has been seeking membership following disagreements with France over events leading up to the 1994 genocide.

The issue is likely to be controversial. The nation's entry bid has received strong backing from some member states.

However, some rights activists are angry that entry would reward a nation they say is guilty of abuses dating back to the 1994 genocide.

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins, in Trinidad, says the leaders are expected to admit Rwanda.

He says most of the leaders apparently believe that if Rwanda is admitted, then they will be able to apply peer pressure to improve the lives of its people.

Zimbabwe's possible re-entry could also be brought up at the meeting.

Sri Lanka controversy

The UK has indicated it will try to block Sri Lanka's bid to host the next Commonwealth summit over its handling of the recent war.

A UK government source said Mr Brown had "real concerns about Sri Lanka's bid".

The source said: "We simply cannot be in a position where Sri Lanka - whose actions earlier this year had a huge impact on civilians, leading to thousands of displaced people without proper humanitarian access - is seen to be rewarded for its actions."

The UN estimates the conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels left at least 7,000 civilians dead with 150,000 people still displaced and living in camps.

At a state dinner ahead of the summit, the Queen acknowledged her hosts by wearing a gown featuring two of the Caribbean nation's national birds and its national flower.

At the banquet in the grounds of President George Maxwell Richards' official home in Port of Spain, she paid tribute to Trinidad's efforts to combat drug trafficking.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

More pressure... I am curious what Canada and United States will do.

Source: BBC News - UK and France propose climate fund for poor

Climate fund to help poor nations

UK PM Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have proposed a multi-billion-dollar fund to help developing nations deal with climate change.

Mr Brown said the $10bn (£6bn) fund should also be used to help developing nations cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Both spoke at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad, the last major world forum before the global summit on climate change in Copenhagen on 7 December.

Many Commonwealth members are island states threatened by rising sea levels.

Mr Sarkozy, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Danish Prime Minister Prime Lars Loekke Rasmussen, is there to give weight to any climate change statement.

The topic was the only issue on the Commonwealth summit's agenda for the first day.

Opening the Trinidad meeting, Queen Elizabeth II said the Commonwealth had an opportunity to lead once more on climate change.

"The threat to our environment is not a new concern but it is now a global challenge which will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come," she said.

'Absolutely serious'

Mr Brown said half of the $10bn fund should go towards helping developing nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and the other half towards helping them adapt to climate change.
--------------------------
ANALYSIS
James Robbins, BBC diplomatic correspondent
It's a highly unorthodox summit, which may be just what the Commonwealth needed to counter charges it is an irrelevant relic of Britain's imperial past.

This time, key leaders from outside the Commonwealth were invited to the first day - given over entirely to the dominant world issue: climate change.

The UN secretary-general, the French president, and Denmark's prime minister seized the chance of the last major political gathering before December's crucial global negotiations to urge the heads of more than 50 nations here to lead by example and ease deadlocks between the developed and developing world.

If the Commonwealth is a microcosm of the wider world, spanning giant India, rich Britain, Australia and Canada, as well as some of the smallest and most vulnerable island states like the Maldives, then where better to argue that all leaders should prepare to make bold concessions to achieve a better outcome in Copenhagen?

Judging whether or not this Summit really makes a difference may be impossible, but it has certainly raised the Commonwealth's profile, and reminded the world beyond the Commonwealth that, at the very least, huge amounts of political effort are being expended to try to maximise success in Copenhagen.
--------------------------
The first cash would be made available next year, he said, before any emissions deal could take effect.

He is offering $800m from the UK over three years, money that has already been budgeted for.

"What I feel the developing countries need to know is that we are absolutely serious that we would start now," he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

In separate remarks quoted by AFP news agency, Mr Sarkozy proposed a funding programme of $10bn a year in the years 2010-12, and an "ambitious mechanism" for payments beyond those years.

He did not indicate how much France was prepared to contribute.

The two leaders said the move could encourage developing nations concerned about the economic consequences of reducing emissions to sign up to a climate treaty.

'Pressure' on India

The Commonwealth's 53 nations comprise nearly two billion people, a third of the planet's population.

The leaders are meeting days after pledges by the US and China to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns that the Copenhagen meeting could fail to agree substantial cuts.

India has admitted that China's decision to unveil emissions targets two weeks before the Copenhagen summit has put it under pressure.
--------------------------
THE COMMONWEALTH
Made up of former British colonies, dependencies and other territories, plus Mozambique
Founded in 1931
Currently 53 members, with combined population of 1.8 billion
Headed by British monarch, but no allegiance to Crown since 1947
Heads of government meet every two years
Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said China's decision was a "wake-up call to India".
--------------------------
Mr Ban said new and positive commitments from several countries over recent days were very heartening.

"My message to all the world leaders has been simple: stay focused, stay committed - and come to Copenhagen and seal a deal," he said.

But in another Commonwealth country, Australia, the government's plans to enact a law for an emissions trading scheme have been thrown into chaos by a revolt within the opposition Liberal Party, whose support is required to pass the bill.

The summit will also discuss Rwanda's entry into the English-speaking club. The Francophone nation has been seeking membership following disagreements with France over events leading up to the 1994 genocide.

The issue is likely to be controversial. The nation's entry bid has received strong backing from some member states.

However, some rights activists are angry that entry would reward a nation they say is guilty of abuses dating back to the 1994 genocide.

Meanwhile the UK has indicated it will try to block Sri Lanka's bid to host the next Commonwealth summit over its handling of the recent war.

A UK government source said Mr Brown had "real concerns about Sri Lanka's bid".

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Lots of talks in Europe as the date gets closer... and I don't like the implication of the threat made to Canada either...

UN chief urges deal at Copenhagen
The United Nations chief has urged world leaders to "seal a deal" on climate change when they meet in Copenhagen next month.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he believed an agreement was in sight, with recent moves by some countries a positive step to cutting emissions.

Danish PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he hoped to see "money on the table" at the UN conference he will host.

Both spoke at a Commonwealth meeting also focusing on climate change.

The Copenhagen summit, from 7-18 December, will see more than 85 national leaders gather to discuss climate change.

"Our common goal is to achieve a firm foundation for a legally binding climate treaty as early as possible in 2010," Mr Ban told the Commonwealth leaders at their summit in Trinidad and Tobago where he was a guest.

"An agreement is within reach.

"We must seal a deal in Copenhagen," he said.

Mr Rasmussen urged developed countries to "put figures on the table" to help poor nations combat climate change.

EARTHWATCH with Richard Black “ China's announcement of a numerical pledge now leaves India as the only major greenhouse gas emitter not to put any firm numbers on the table ”

"The need for money on the table - that is what we want to achieve in Copenhagen," he said.

Their comments came after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, also a guest at the Commonwealth meeting, proposed a multi-billion-dollar fund to help developing nations deal with climate change.

Mr Brown said the $10bn (£6bn) fund should also be used to help developing nations cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"We face a climate emergency: we cannot wait until 2013 to begin taking action," Mr Brown said.

Many Commonwealth members are island states threatened by rising sea levels.

Mr Rasmussen was optimistic about a deal being struck at Copenhagen, saying the summit was "capable of delivering the turning point we all want".

THE COMMONWEALTH
Made up of former British colonies, dependencies and other territories, plus Mozambique
Founded in 1931
Currently 53 members, with combined population of 1.8 billion
Headed by British monarch, but no allegiance to Crown since 1947
Heads of government meet every two years
The climate treaty, now expected to be adopted as a final text only next year, will replace the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.

Mr Brown said half of the $10bn fund should go towards helping developing nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and the other half towards helping them adapt to climate change.

The first cash would be made available next year, he said, before any emissions deal could take effect.

He is offering $800m from the UK over three years, money that has already been budgeted for.

"What I feel the developing countries need to know is that we are absolutely serious that we would start now," he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

In separate remarks quoted by AFP news agency, Mr Sarkozy proposed a funding programme of $10bn a year in the years 2010-12, and an "ambitious mechanism" for payments beyond those years.

He did not indicate how much France was prepared to contribute.

The Commonwealth's 53 nations comprise nearly two billion people, a third of the planet's population.

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC News - UN chief urges leaders to 'seal deal' on climate change

Published: 2009/11/28 04:55:09 GMT

Commonwealth backs climate fund
Commonwealth leaders have backed a multi-billion-dollar plan to help developing nations to deal with climate change and cut greenhouse gases.

The fund, proposed by UK and French leaders at the Commonwealth summit on Friday, would start next year and build to $10bn annually by 2012.

Many Commonwealth members are island states threatened by rising sea levels.

Leaders also called for the strongest possible outcome at next month's climate change summit in Copenhagen.

They unanimously agreed to seek a legally binding international agreement, but accepted that "a full legally binding outcome" might have to wait to 2010.

ANALYSIS
James Robbins, BBC News diplomatic correspondent Did the Commonwealth give a lead to the world on climate change, as the Queen urged when she opened this summit? The Commonwealth Climate Declaration does emphasise that "an internationally binding agreement is essential" but then concedes in the next sentence that "a full legally binding outcome" will have to wait until 2010.
That doesn't mean the Commonwealth has failed. The wording looks cautious but realistic. It is the breakdown in global negotiations which threatens to sink a strong deal.

There does seem to have been some meeting of minds at the Commonwealth on the global fund to distribute money from rich countries to the developing countries to help them adapt and pay for low-carbon alternatives.

Poorer countries can start to see the money now, with the promise of payouts starting soon after a global treaty is agreed.

That's a very direct incentive for the developing world.

Commonwealth leaders "welcomed the initiative to establish, as part of a comprehensive agreement, a Copenhagen Launch Fund starting in 2010 and building to a level of resources of $10 billion annually by 2012," a statement in Trinidad on Saturday said.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the declaration sent a clear political message.

"The Commonwealth is showing that you can find some common ground amidst countries that are very different, large and small, rich and poor, and that climate change is an issue that affects us all, and that the world needs to show the sort of resolution that we've seen here over the past 24 hours," he said.

It added that "fast start funding" for adaptation should be focused on the most vulnerable countries.

"We also recognise the need for further, specified and comparable funding streams, to assist the poorest and most vulnerable countries, to cope with, and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. We recognise that funding will be scaled up beyond 2012."

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said half the $10bn fund should go towards helping developing nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and the other half towards helping them adapt to climate change.

The first cash would be made available next year, he said, before any emissions deal could take effect.

'Clock ticking'

Commonwealth leaders met days after pledges by the US and China to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns that December's Copenhagen meeting on climate change could fail to agree substantial cuts.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told a news conference in Trinidad on Saturday that the Commonwealth - representing a third of the world's population - believed "the time for action on climate change has come."

"The clock is ticking to Copenhagen. We've achieved one further step, significant step forward with this communique and we believe the political goodwill and resolve exists to secure a comprehensive agreement at Copenhagen."

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that when his country unveils its first targets for carbon emission cuts they would be "ambitious".

But he also stressed that India's offer would be conditional on other countries sharing the burden.

That neatly illustrates the greatest threat to a global deal, says the BBC's James Robbins.

Many countries will only make binding concessions if every other nation also gives ground, our correspondent says.

Speaking earlier at the summit, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he believed an agreement was in sight, with recent moves by some countries a positive step to cutting emissions.

The head of the UN's panel of climate experts, Rajendra Pachauri, said he was now very optimistic a deal could be reached in Copenhagen.

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC News - Commonwealth leaders back climate change fund

Published: 2009/11/29 00:36:54 GMT

November 27, 2009
UN chief presses Canada on climate change
By CBC News
The United Nations secretary general added his voice Friday to the chorus of activists trying to prod Canada into taking greater action on climate change.

The United Nations secretary general added his voice Friday to the chorus of activists trying to prod Canada into taking greater action on climate change.

Ban Ki-Moon said Canada, as the next country to host the G8 and G20 meetings, must pick up the pace in setting a mid-range goal to curb emissions.

"Many countries, developed and developing countries, have come out with ambitious targets," Ban said.

"And Canada, as one of the leading G8 countries, and G20, Canada is going to soon chair G8. Therefore, it is only natural that Canada should come out with ambitious targets as soon as possible."

Ban made the comments Friday night at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago, which is being attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other heads of government.

Ban also said an agreement is achievable at next month's meeting in Copenhagen to try to forge a deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol when that accord expires in 2012. By contrast, Harper and his ministers insist an agreement is not likely.

Calls to suspend Canada from Commonwealth

On Thursday, The Guardian newspaper reported that at least one scientist and several lobby groups were calling for Canada's suspension from the Commonwealth over its failure to meet goals for reducing greenhouse gases.

"If the Commonwealth is serious about holding its members to account, then threatening the lives of millions of people in developing countries should lead to the suspension of Canada's membership immediately," said Saleemul Huq, a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Other groups including the World Development Movement, the Polaris Institute and Greenpeace support the idea, according to The Guardian.

Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2000, pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent from 1990 levels by the commitment period ending in 2012. By 2007, its emissions were 34 per cent above its reduction target.

December's global climate summit in Copenhagen has raised the temperature at what is usually a low-key meeting of leaders from Britain's former colonial empire.

Leaders of the 53-nation group, whose profile has waned in recent years, say they now have a chance to influence the global debate.

"What we can do is to raise our voices politically," said Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago. "We feel can have some effect in influencing the discussions in Denmark."

Others apparently agree. This year's meeting has drawn leaders from outside the Commonwealth such as Ban, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Manning has stressed to journalists that the leaders would not be negotiating the details of a climate treaty in their private meetings. Rather, they would be working out a statement that reflects a huge segment of world opinion, a quarter of the world's countries.

"A statement from countries as diverse as those that you find in the Commonwealth is a statement that would be much more reflective of [the] world than would otherwise be the case," he said.

Queen addresses delegates

Queen Elizabeth, the head of the Commonwealth, addressed the need for action on climate change in her opening remarks Friday.

"The threat to our environment is not a new concern but it is now a global challenge that will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come," the Queen told delegates.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also attending the meeting, has called for a strong statement warning of the economic and environmental dangers of letting climate change go unchecked.

Brown proposed a $17.5 billion Cdn fund as part of any Copenhagen agreement to help poorer countries reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change.

Britain would contribute about $1.4 billion to the effort, which he said could help break the deadlock over emission cuts by reassuring poorer countries that they would receive help in making the transition.

"We have got to provide some money to help that," Brown said. "Britain will do so, the rest of Europe will do so and I believe America will do so as well."

Sarkozy is a surprising participant at the English-speaking meeting, but the French leader has been a vocal advocate for setting ambitious goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions at December's summit in Copenhagen. He was expected to hold separate private meetings with Brown and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Commonwealth, established in 1949 and made up almost entirely of former British colonies, promotes democracy, good government and education.

Commonwealth needs more aggressive role: NGO

But the mission seems to be fading. A new report by the Royal Commonwealth Society, a non-governmental organization, said its polling found "members of the public are largely unaware of what the Commonwealth is or does" and called for a more aggressive role in international affairs.

Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, the director of the society, said he was pleased to see the heads of government focusing on climate change at such a key moment but fears the organization hasn't really changed ? it's only tackling a relevant issue by coincidence.

The leaders who are coming to Trinidad, he said, are here this week because it's the largest gathering of leaders before Copenhagen.

"We deserve better than that," he said. "We aspire to be better than that as the Commonwealth family."

Those hoping for strong words on at least one human rights issue have already been disappointed.

Both Manning and Kamalesh Sharma, the secretary general of the Commonwealth, declined to condemn a proposed law in Uganda that imposes life imprisonment for homosexual acts and the death penalty for having homosexual sex while HIV positive. The law also sets prison terms for people who do not report known acts of homosexuality.

Manning declined comment, saying it was an internal matter, while Sharma said he hoped the bill would be changed before the Ugandan parliament takes a final vote on it.

"We must show our faith that this is a process which is going to deliver in the end the appropriate result," he said.

CBC News - World - UN chief presses Canada on climate change

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Lots of talks in Europe as the date gets closer... and I don't like the implication of the threat made to Canada either...

UN chief urges deal at Copenhagen
The United Nations chief has urged world leaders to "seal a deal" on climate change when they meet in Copenhagen next month.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he believed an agreement was in sight, with recent moves by some countries a positive step to cutting emissions.

Danish PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he hoped to see "money on the table" at the UN conference he will host.

Both spoke at a Commonwealth meeting also focusing on climate change.

The Copenhagen summit, from 7-18 December, will see more than 85 national leaders gather to discuss climate change.

"Our common goal is to achieve a firm foundation for a legally binding climate treaty as early as possible in 2010," Mr Ban told the Commonwealth leaders at their summit in Trinidad and Tobago where he was a guest.

"An agreement is within reach.

"We must seal a deal in Copenhagen," he said.

Mr Rasmussen urged developed countries to "put figures on the table" to help poor nations combat climate change.

EARTHWATCH with Richard Black “ China's announcement of a numerical pledge now leaves India as the only major greenhouse gas emitter not to put any firm numbers on the table ”

"The need for money on the table - that is what we want to achieve in Copenhagen," he said.

Their comments came after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, also a guest at the Commonwealth meeting, proposed a multi-billion-dollar fund to help developing nations deal with climate change.

Mr Brown said the $10bn (£6bn) fund should also be used to help developing nations cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"We face a climate emergency: we cannot wait until 2013 to begin taking action," Mr Brown said.

Many Commonwealth members are island states threatened by rising sea levels.

Mr Rasmussen was optimistic about a deal being struck at Copenhagen, saying the summit was "capable of delivering the turning point we all want".

THE COMMONWEALTH
Made up of former British colonies, dependencies and other territories, plus Mozambique
Founded in 1931
Currently 53 members, with combined population of 1.8 billion
Headed by British monarch, but no allegiance to Crown since 1947
Heads of government meet every two years
The climate treaty, now expected to be adopted as a final text only next year, will replace the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.

Mr Brown said half of the $10bn fund should go towards helping developing nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and the other half towards helping them adapt to climate change.

The first cash would be made available next year, he said, before any emissions deal could take effect.

He is offering $800m from the UK over three years, money that has already been budgeted for.

"What I feel the developing countries need to know is that we are absolutely serious that we would start now," he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

In separate remarks quoted by AFP news agency, Mr Sarkozy proposed a funding programme of $10bn a year in the years 2010-12, and an "ambitious mechanism" for payments beyond those years.

He did not indicate how much France was prepared to contribute.

The Commonwealth's 53 nations comprise nearly two billion people, a third of the planet's population.

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC News - UN chief urges leaders to 'seal deal' on climate change

Published: 2009/11/28 04:55:09 GMT

Commonwealth backs climate fund
Commonwealth leaders have backed a multi-billion-dollar plan to help developing nations to deal with climate change and cut greenhouse gases.

The fund, proposed by UK and French leaders at the Commonwealth summit on Friday, would start next year and build to $10bn annually by 2012.

Many Commonwealth members are island states threatened by rising sea levels.

Leaders also called for the strongest possible outcome at next month's climate change summit in Copenhagen.

They unanimously agreed to seek a legally binding international agreement, but accepted that "a full legally binding outcome" might have to wait to 2010.

ANALYSIS
James Robbins, BBC News diplomatic correspondent Did the Commonwealth give a lead to the world on climate change, as the Queen urged when she opened this summit? The Commonwealth Climate Declaration does emphasise that "an internationally binding agreement is essential" but then concedes in the next sentence that "a full legally binding outcome" will have to wait until 2010.
That doesn't mean the Commonwealth has failed. The wording looks cautious but realistic. It is the breakdown in global negotiations which threatens to sink a strong deal.

There does seem to have been some meeting of minds at the Commonwealth on the global fund to distribute money from rich countries to the developing countries to help them adapt and pay for low-carbon alternatives.

Poorer countries can start to see the money now, with the promise of payouts starting soon after a global treaty is agreed.

That's a very direct incentive for the developing world.

Commonwealth leaders "welcomed the initiative to establish, as part of a comprehensive agreement, a Copenhagen Launch Fund starting in 2010 and building to a level of resources of $10 billion annually by 2012," a statement in Trinidad on Saturday said.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the declaration sent a clear political message.

"The Commonwealth is showing that you can find some common ground amidst countries that are very different, large and small, rich and poor, and that climate change is an issue that affects us all, and that the world needs to show the sort of resolution that we've seen here over the past 24 hours," he said.

It added that "fast start funding" for adaptation should be focused on the most vulnerable countries.

"We also recognise the need for further, specified and comparable funding streams, to assist the poorest and most vulnerable countries, to cope with, and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. We recognise that funding will be scaled up beyond 2012."

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said half the $10bn fund should go towards helping developing nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and the other half towards helping them adapt to climate change.

The first cash would be made available next year, he said, before any emissions deal could take effect.

'Clock ticking'

Commonwealth leaders met days after pledges by the US and China to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns that December's Copenhagen meeting on climate change could fail to agree substantial cuts.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told a news conference in Trinidad on Saturday that the Commonwealth - representing a third of the world's population - believed "the time for action on climate change has come."

"The clock is ticking to Copenhagen. We've achieved one further step, significant step forward with this communique and we believe the political goodwill and resolve exists to secure a comprehensive agreement at Copenhagen."

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that when his country unveils its first targets for carbon emission cuts they would be "ambitious".

But he also stressed that India's offer would be conditional on other countries sharing the burden.

That neatly illustrates the greatest threat to a global deal, says the BBC's James Robbins.

Many countries will only make binding concessions if every other nation also gives ground, our correspondent says.

Speaking earlier at the summit, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he believed an agreement was in sight, with recent moves by some countries a positive step to cutting emissions.

The head of the UN's panel of climate experts, Rajendra Pachauri, said he was now very optimistic a deal could be reached in Copenhagen.

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC News - Commonwealth leaders back climate change fund

Published: 2009/11/29 00:36:54 GMT

November 27, 2009
UN chief presses Canada on climate change
By CBC News
The United Nations secretary general added his voice Friday to the chorus of activists trying to prod Canada into taking greater action on climate change.

The United Nations secretary general added his voice Friday to the chorus of activists trying to prod Canada into taking greater action on climate change.

Ban Ki-Moon said Canada, as the next country to host the G8 and G20 meetings, must pick up the pace in setting a mid-range goal to curb emissions.

"Many countries, developed and developing countries, have come out with ambitious targets," Ban said.

"And Canada, as one of the leading G8 countries, and G20, Canada is going to soon chair G8. Therefore, it is only natural that Canada should come out with ambitious targets as soon as possible."

Ban made the comments Friday night at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago, which is being attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other heads of government.

Ban also said an agreement is achievable at next month's meeting in Copenhagen to try to forge a deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol when that accord expires in 2012. By contrast, Harper and his ministers insist an agreement is not likely.

Calls to suspend Canada from Commonwealth

On Thursday, The Guardian newspaper reported that at least one scientist and several lobby groups were calling for Canada's suspension from the Commonwealth over its failure to meet goals for reducing greenhouse gases.

"If the Commonwealth is serious about holding its members to account, then threatening the lives of millions of people in developing countries should lead to the suspension of Canada's membership immediately," said Saleemul Huq, a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Other groups including the World Development Movement, the Polaris Institute and Greenpeace support the idea, according to The Guardian.

Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2000, pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent from 1990 levels by the commitment period ending in 2012. By 2007, its emissions were 34 per cent above its reduction target.

December's global climate summit in Copenhagen has raised the temperature at what is usually a low-key meeting of leaders from Britain's former colonial empire.

Leaders of the 53-nation group, whose profile has waned in recent years, say they now have a chance to influence the global debate.

"What we can do is to raise our voices politically," said Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago. "We feel can have some effect in influencing the discussions in Denmark."

Others apparently agree. This year's meeting has drawn leaders from outside the Commonwealth such as Ban, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Manning has stressed to journalists that the leaders would not be negotiating the details of a climate treaty in their private meetings. Rather, they would be working out a statement that reflects a huge segment of world opinion, a quarter of the world's countries.

"A statement from countries as diverse as those that you find in the Commonwealth is a statement that would be much more reflective of [the] world than would otherwise be the case," he said.

Queen addresses delegates

Queen Elizabeth, the head of the Commonwealth, addressed the need for action on climate change in her opening remarks Friday.

"The threat to our environment is not a new concern but it is now a global challenge that will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come," the Queen told delegates.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also attending the meeting, has called for a strong statement warning of the economic and environmental dangers of letting climate change go unchecked.

Brown proposed a $17.5 billion Cdn fund as part of any Copenhagen agreement to help poorer countries reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change.

Britain would contribute about $1.4 billion to the effort, which he said could help break the deadlock over emission cuts by reassuring poorer countries that they would receive help in making the transition.

"We have got to provide some money to help that," Brown said. "Britain will do so, the rest of Europe will do so and I believe America will do so as well."

Sarkozy is a surprising participant at the English-speaking meeting, but the French leader has been a vocal advocate for setting ambitious goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions at December's summit in Copenhagen. He was expected to hold separate private meetings with Brown and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Commonwealth, established in 1949 and made up almost entirely of former British colonies, promotes democracy, good government and education.

Commonwealth needs more aggressive role: NGO

But the mission seems to be fading. A new report by the Royal Commonwealth Society, a non-governmental organization, said its polling found "members of the public are largely unaware of what the Commonwealth is or does" and called for a more aggressive role in international affairs.

Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, the director of the society, said he was pleased to see the heads of government focusing on climate change at such a key moment but fears the organization hasn't really changed ? it's only tackling a relevant issue by coincidence.

The leaders who are coming to Trinidad, he said, are here this week because it's the largest gathering of leaders before Copenhagen.

"We deserve better than that," he said. "We aspire to be better than that as the Commonwealth family."

Those hoping for strong words on at least one human rights issue have already been disappointed.

Both Manning and Kamalesh Sharma, the secretary general of the Commonwealth, declined to condemn a proposed law in Uganda that imposes life imprisonment for homosexual acts and the death penalty for having homosexual sex while HIV positive. The law also sets prison terms for people who do not report known acts of homosexuality.

Manning declined comment, saying it was an internal matter, while Sharma said he hoped the bill would be changed before the Ugandan parliament takes a final vote on it.

"We must show our faith that this is a process which is going to deliver in the end the appropriate result," he said.

CBC News - World - UN chief presses Canada on climate change