Climate Talks Stall Over Carbon 'Sinks'
Reuters, Copyright 2000
November 17, 2000
By Robin Pomeroy
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Negotiators worked down to the wire late on Friday in a frantic bid to lay the groundwork for an agreement on how to fight the threat of global warming.
Officials from some 180 countries remained sharply divided after a week of talks at a United Nations (news - web sites)-sponsored climate change conference in The Hague.
``It looks on a knife edge,'' said Michael Grubb, Professor of Climate Change and Energy Policy at London's Imperial College.
The talks are seen as a make-or-break chance for a U.N. climate pact struck in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan to cut emissions of gases believed to cause global warming.
Scientists say that without cuts in emissions of gases like carbon dioxide from burning oil and coal there could be unprecedented climate change with possibly devastating effects.
U.N. climate reports have warned that global warming could lead to increased disease, crop failures and rising sea levels.
The world's richest nations, however, remained ideologically split, most crucially on a single issue.
Should countries make most of their targeted emissions cuts at home, the approach favored by Europe and most developing countries.
Or should they be able to buy the right to pollute elsewhere, a more cost-effective option backed by the United States, Japan, Canada, and Australia. They argue this would still meet global targets set at Kyoto.
This could be done by wealthy states unable or unwilling to cut pollution by enough buying emissions ``credits'' from less well-off countries, such as in East Europe, who easily meet their targets.
``There's still a long way to go on the core issue of cutting back greenhouse gas emissions at home,'' Grubb said.
``That has been an issue for the three years since Kyoto and ...it'll probably have to be dealt with by ministers in the final hours (of the Hague conference),'' Grubb told Reuters.
With the clock ticking, virtual deadlock forced negotiators to work late to prepare a text for ministers to hammer out next week in a bid to rescue the Kyoto deal from collapse.
Conference host, Dutch Environment Minister Jan Pronk, refused requests to prolong the technical negotiations, insisting he be handed all texts by Saturday afternoon so he could draw up a list of options to hand to ministers on Sunday.
``You may think progress has been slow, very slow, but it is quicker than it has been in the past,'' Pronk told reporters.
French President Jacques Chirac said he would attend the Hague talks on Monday to add his weight to the push for a workable deal.
Europe Rejects Carbon ``Sinks''
The European Union firmly rejected a U.S.-backed plan to set aside forests and farmland as ``sinks'' to soak up carbon dioxide (CO2), the main global warming gas. It sees the use of forest and farm sinks as evading the real issue.
Senior U.S. diplomats said the powerful farm lobby could accept such a plan if they were paid for ``climate friendly'' activities like setting aside land for forestry or using farming methods that release less carbon from the soil.
This would allow Washington to meet its Kyoto targets for cuts in gas emissions, without having to bring in tough controls that could hit industry and consumers.
Both sides tried to play down the row on Friday, but acknowledged an overall agreement was still some way off.
``Progress has been made on technical items, but major issues remain for resolution next week,'' said David Sandalow, head of the U.S. delegation.
Saudis Fear Lost Oil Income
While the EU and U.S. remained at loggerheads, some delegates and Green groups accused Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, of trying to hobble attempts to piece together a deal.
The Saudis argue they stand to lose billions of dollars in oil revenues if agreements to trim greenhouse gas emissions lead to lower world oil consumption.
``We would lose $25 billion a year by 2010 if the Kyoto cuts are implemented,'' Mohammed al-Sabban, head of the Saudi delegation, told Reuters earlier. ``There will be no outcome if our concerns are not adequately addressed.''
The Saudis have aligned themselves at the Hague talks with small islands and developing nations, which face the harshest consequences of rising oceans, intense storms and flooding.
But, with oil prices hovering above $30 a barrel, their pleas for financial compensation are not widely welcomed.
``They are basically obstructing any kind of progress,'' said Lars-Georg Jensen of the World Wide Fund for Nature.
``Their positions are slowing down the negotiations,'' said Anders Turesson of the EU delegation.
(additional reporting by Matt Daily)