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Apec minnows back
moves for fuel emission reduction
AUSTRALIA, US and Canada have been urged to
cut down on fuel emissions first before they push developing countries
within Apec to cut back on logging.
This is the stand taken by PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and
other developing member countries, and has been supported by World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF) International.
WWF International said in a statement most of the leaders of the world’s
fastest growing economies attending the Apec summit rejected attempts by
Australia and the US to bypass the United Nation’s negotiations to
reduce climate damaging emissions.
“The developing country members of Apec have said clearly that the UN is
the place where a new climate change agreement will be struck” Greg
Bourne, CEO of WWF Australia, said.
“It is clear that Australia, the US and Canada must commit to real
binding cuts in emissions to enable post 2012 negotiations in Bali to
come to a fruitful conclusion,” Mr Bourne added.
“President Bush and prime ministers John Howard (Australia) and Stephen
Harper (Canada) tried to lead the negotiations astray by dangling
so-called inspirational goals in front of the other leaders as the only
way forward,” Diane McFadzien, international climate policy expert of
WWF, said.
“But aspiring to stop dangerous climate change means that some
industrialised countries commit to binding emission reductions,
something they were not willing to do,” she said.
“This Apec summit once again made clear that the UN framework is the
right place to move towards deeper emission reductions. For example, the
agreement expresses support to the most vulnerable countries to adapt
climate change but the financing could be agreed only through an
extension of the Kyoto Protocol.”
To keep warming well below the dangerous levels of two degrees
Centigrade, that agreement would need to ensure that global emissions
peak before 2020 and that industrialised countries reduce their
emissions by a least 30% by 2020 from
the 1990 levels.
WWF expects over 100 heads of State and government speaking at the UN
high-level meeting on Sept 24 in New York to welcome the formal launch
of the Bali negotiations.
Meanwhile, Sir Michael arrived back in Port Moresby yesterday from the
Apec meeting satisfied with the outcome.
“We were able to present our initiative on carbon trading and the issue
of climate change because it was one of the agendas for the Apec meeting
but one of the factors was China and rest of us who are members of the
Kyoto protocol, raised it because it was a United Nations initiative and
it was good it was raised in that forum (UN).”
Sir Michael said the issue of climate change and carbon trade would be
raised again in the Bali meeting in December and G8 meeting in
Washington.
He said other matters including Apec travel business cards were
discussed and PNG was one of the countries that have issued the cards to
business people to have access to Apec member countries.
He said the next Apec meeting was scheduled for Peru.
 
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