8/8/2019 20101218 Going Forward From Cancun

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could amplify global warming, hold-ing out the prospect of a runawayrise in global temperatures, as mighthave happened on the planet Venus.

A plan of action for adapting toglobal warming was agreed upon,and an Adaptation Committee is tobe set up to help implement thisplan. All states have been asked tosubmit proposals on adaptation-re-lated matters by February 21, 2011.

On mitigation, the Conferencereaffirmed the basic principles of eq-uity, and common, but differentiat-ed, responsibility, recognising thehistoric responsibility of industrial-ised countries, calling on them toincrease emission reduction targets,and increasing the reporting scope.

For developing countries, the con-ference recognised that their firstpriority was development, andurged them to take national mea-sures to reduce emission below thebusiness as usual levels in 2020.

It welcomed the voluntary emis-sion reductions declared by devel-oping countries in 2010, and agreedon some monitoring and reportingmeasures.

CREATING FUNDS

The Conference called for measuresto halt and reverse deforestation anddegradation of forests, and urgedcountries to develop national actionplans and measures to monitor theirimplementation. It called for incen-tives and promotion of mitigationmeasures in the shape of market andnon-market based mechanisms, andinvited countries to send their pro-posals by February 21, 2011.

The section on finance, technol-ogy, and capacity-building con-tained some progress. Developedcountries are urged to provide newand additional resources to the tuneof $30 billion during 2010-2012, foradaptation and mitigation measures.For assured long-term financing, de-veloped countries have agreed tomobilise jointly at least $100 billionper year by 2020.

A Green Climate Fund is to be setup, to handle and channelise theseadditional resources, with a board of12 members each from developingand developed countries. The WorldBank has been invited to be the in-terim trustee of this Fund for thefirst three years. The details of theFund would be worked out by a tran-sitional committee of 15 developedand 25 developing countries. The

The Cancun climatechange summit narrowlyescaped a collapse,thanks to the intensive ef-

forts of negotiators, including theMexican Chairman, Ms Patricia Es-pinosa. Unlike Copenhagen, therewas better transparency and agenuine desire to achieve results. Ja-pans bombshell announcement, ef-

fectively resiling from the KyotoProtocol principles, virtually torpe-doed the summit, after which nego-tiators managed to salvage somemodest results and kept the processfrom collapsing. The Cancunagreements that came out of thesummit were basically some non-binding, non-controversial but, nev-ertheless, important issues.

ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION

There were some positives. All

states agreed on the need to limitglobal temperature rise to 2 degreesCelsius, and try for limit of 1.5 de-grees Celsius, to agree on 2050 tar-gets for deep cuts in emissions bynext year, to cooperate in achievingat the earliest peaking of emissions(with developing countries needingmore time for this). This is timely,for a recent scientific report suggest-ed that the influence of water vapour

basic divide came out sharply de-veloped countries no longer agree tobinding cuts in emission unless de-veloping countries, especially largeemitters, also do so. This amounts tooverturning the Kyoto Protocol, andhas been rejected by the developingcountries.

Indias Minister attempted tobridge the gap by suggesting that allcountries, including developingcountries, that have over 1 per centshare of global emissions mightagree to binding reductions at somestage. This has caused widespreadconsternation and controversy bothwith the other BASIC members andwithin India as being a major depar-ture from the national position.

In complex negotiations such asthe one on climate change, wherethere are diverse stakeholders andinterest groups, it is essential thatthe national platform should beworked out on the basis of broad-based consultation among all stake-holders, including major politicalparties. Only then will negotiatorshave the confidence to stand firmagainst unreasonable demands andpressures. The experience of theTrade negotiations in Marrakesh in

1994, where India succumbed topressures and agreed to modify itspatent laws in line with US de-mands, should serve as a warning.

INDIAS OPTIONS

Indias import requirement of fossilfuels will rise sharply as growthgathers momentum and business asusual will be unsustainable in thelong term. Therefore, a shift to al-

Going forward from Cancunternative energy sources is esseand inevitable. Whether this cothrough an orderly plan of actioas a result of serious crises is inhands. Ultimately for our natiinterest we will have to reducebon intensity or face unaffordimport burdens. It is better to mthis change now than when it ilate.

Kyoto is almost dead, and gthe economic situation, develcountries are unlikely to agrestuff the genie back into the boThe international community have to find new and innovways of sharing the responsibfor emission reductions. One would be for an emission charg

be paid by all emitting countriesproceeds of which could ploughed back to developing ctries through the Green ClimFund. The national emission ches could then be disaggregatedcharged to the emitters withincountry. This will provide a naand fair economic incentive to for emission reductions in all ctries, based on the accepted prple of polluter pays.

Even the partial results at Can

can provide opportunities for Iand its vibrant business sector tgage with the green Climate Fand the technology mechanisming set up. The Government shset up an effective mechanism tothese opportunities at the earlie

BHASKAR

BALAKRISHNAN

(The author is a former Ambassador

to Cuba and Greece. blfeedback@

thehindu.co.in)

Mr Jairam Ramesh Cancun

throws up opportunities for India.