(VOVworld) – The 19th UN Climate Change Conference, COP 19, in Warsaw, Poland, aims to obtain new progress on the global climate change treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol which will expire on 2020. But what is happening in Warsaw suggests no successful outcome.
At COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, in 2011, countries agreed on the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol from 2013-2015 and to conclude the negotiation of a new agreement by 2015 to be applied on all countries from 2020. COP 19 is considered a special important meeting because it’s the first year to implement the 2nd phase of the Kyoto protocol and the second year of negotiation for a global legally binding framework scheduled to be finished by 2015.
Obstacles from personal interest
Previous COP took place in a tense atmosphere when countries strongly protected their own interest and couldn’t have a common view in reducing emission. COP 19 was convened after typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippines and left tremendous consequences which shadowed the conference and raised an alarm urging countries to take action. In addition to discussion on a replacement for the Koyto protocol, COP 19 expects to urge developed countries to comply with their commitments to offer 100 billion USD per year for developing countries to handle negative impacts of climate change.
So far the conference has gone through two thirds of its 12-day agenda, statements at the conference has pushed the negotiation to a deadlock. Japan, which was predicted to take the lead in reducing emission under the protocol named after its city (the Kyoto protocol), shocked the conference with its target to increase its greenhouse gas level by 3.1% by 2020 retracting to its previous commitment to reduce the emission by 25%. Australia was also a big disappointment at COP 19 when it announced to adjust the emission reduction to 5% by 2020 against its commitment of between 15 to 25% in 2000. Australia abandoned its law on Carbon taxation, paving the way for huge coal exploitation projects. Speaking at COP 19, Australia used the words “not agree” and “not support”, delaying commitments on building a supportive mechanism for damage and loss caused by climate change. The host country, Poland, was criticized for allowing fossil fuel companies to attend the conference, an evidence of carbon energy consumption in the country.
Suspension of financial contribution
Another target of the Conference is to agree on assistance forms for countries vulnerable to climate change, especially finance for the Green Climate Fund. So far, no country has committed money for the Fund in the 2013-2020 period. It’s a big challenge for developing countries and countries vulnerable to climate change because they don’t know how much they may have for their climate change response plans.
Another obstacle is the transfer of environmentally friendly technology. While developing countries are asking to remove all barriers on property rights, developed countries don’t like that idea because technology transfer will bring them sizable incomes.
From determination to action: a long distance
COP 19 acknowledged that losses caused by climate change have become a global headache, but the delegates could not reach consensus on resolving pending issues since the previous conferences.
Efforts have been made to produce specific outcomes in Warsaw. The number of people joining the hunger strike has increased. Tens of thousands of people have involved in peace demonstrations for climate justice. Community pressure has heightened when COP 19 is coming to its end. May miserable tears of the Head of the Filipino delegation when talking about the Filipino victims of typhoon Haiyan awaken people’s conscience? Can COP 19 reach its targets in the last minute?