Ivy

Rich countries should stick to their commitment made a decade ago to cut emissions and provide technological transfer and financing to assist developing nations in fighting climate change, China's senior climate negotiator urged.


They should do some "deep soul searching" before trying to confuse the differences in responsibilities in fighting climate change, Yu Qingtai, special representative of the Foreign Ministry for the UN climate change talks, said in a press release on Dec 9.


"We have already had the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol and in these legal documents, developed countries have made a series of commitments for emission reduction, technological transfer. However, if we compare the actions they take with their commitment, we find large cap between the two," he said.


The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change required developed countries to realize the target of lowering emission to the 1990 level in 2000. "Almost a decade has passed, as we all know, hardly any developed countries have fulfilled their commitment," he said, adding that there's not even an apology for not honoring their commitment.


Developed countries should square up to their responsibilities, demonstrate enough political will, and abide by the principle and basic framework of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol to push for substantive progress at the negotiation in Copenhagen, which will be concluded in ten days, said Yu, commenting after Todd Stern, US Special Envoy for Climate Change, told a press conference that US will pay into climate fund, but not reparations.


China Daily

netawhile

Reparations can come in the form of cooperation and a binding commitment to reducing emissions and contributing technological transfers to assist in more efficient energy systems.  However, at this struggling stage of the global economy, IOUs may be the best expectation for providing financing to assist developing nations.  To some degree, the fault rests on the previous leaders of developed countries.  That is not to say, the current leaders can shrug responsibilities and write off what their predecessors have done (the scapegoat approach).  No, the current leaders need to guide their countries through the retribution phase and also hold those responsible accountable for their transgressions.