Failure in Copenhagen is Not an Option: Ambassador Beck
Solomon Times
Failure in Copenhagen is not an option
in seeking a legally binding international agreement when world leaders
meet next week to discuss a new climate change deal, said Collin Beck,
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Solomon Islands to the
United Nations.
Speaking ahead of the start of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
Ambassador Beck believes that a deal will be reached during the summit,
a consistent view reiterated by the Alliance of Small Island States
(AOSIS). It needs the political will to do that and remains positive
this can happen.
"Everyone
will be working round the clock to make Copenhagen meeting a success,"
he said following an AOSIS pre-session meeting at the Bella Centre, the
conference venue.
Thursday's meeting addressed a number of
sticking points including analyzing and strategizing AOSIS positions
ahead of the negotiations scheduled for next week.
He said
AOSIS as a group discussed political dynamics occurring around
Copenhagen meeting and their possible implications. This includes the
recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and
Tobago, Pre COP session attended by selected countries, the Maldives
meeting amongst others.
While welcoming a recent proposed
climate change fund amounting to $10 billion by some developed
countries, Solomon Islander diplomat said "we welcome the funds but
there is a lack of details how much is from public funds? How will it
be managed under the UNFCCC process or institutions outside the Climate
Change framework including the World Bank, GEF or bilateral
programmes"?
"On the question whether $10 billion is
sufficient, it's not sufficient," he remarked. He said the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) made an estimate of $86 billion
per year is needed for adaptation alone. If one makes a calculation
based on UNDP figures, for the period 2010 and 2012, we will need at
least 28.6 billion a year. From that amount if 10% is allocated to
SIDS, AOSIS should get at least 2.86 billion for adaptation programme
alone.
More funds will be needed for mitigation and technology
transfer programmes. "Whilst the financial figures are still inadequate
it is a figure on the table, Copenhagen provides us the opportunity to
engage with our partners and build on it. We also need to get a
balanced and comprehensive outcome. To do so, we must not lose sight on
getting a more ambitious target from Annex 1 Parties if we are serious
of stabilizing current emissions of green house gas. So far current
commitments fall below the IPCCC range".
