Posts Tagged ‘Poland’
Poznan Climate Summit Ends In Acrimony
Posted by: Karl Ramjohn
Following on the news, developments & issues associated with the UNFCCC climate change summit that ended last week in Poznan, Poland …
From Earth News, Telegraph.co.uk – December 15, 2008
A key climate change summit has ended in acrimony after the developed world failed to agree to a new tax on industry to help poorer countries survive the droughts and floods attributed to climate change.
Read Full Article: Climate summit ends in acrimony – Telegraph
The UN talks in Poznan, Poland, that cost £23 million and produced 13,000 tonnes of carbon, were supposed to make progress on cutting world emissions and helping the poor adapt to extreme weather conditions. But in the final hours of the meeting ministers from 189 different countries had failed to come to any agreement.
The sticking point was over a controversial adaptation fund that will pump billions of pounds towards helping poorer nations adapt infrastructure, build flood defences and improve agriculture. Although the world agreed to set up the fund from next year, it could not be decided where the money will come from. It had been suggested that existing carbon markets, where heavy industries pay for the right to pollute, should be further taxed to raise the funds. The system is controversial for taxing businesses already suffering the global recession and richer countries refused to commit to the idea.
The EU and Britain said no decision could be made until it is decided how the carbon markets, that have yet to be established in the US, will function or what adaptation measures are needed. But it was no secret that countries like Russia, with heavy industries, were firmly against the scheme. In dramatic scenes developing countries like India and Colombia accused the developed world of abandoning the world’s poor. By the end of negotiations exhausted delegates were forced to shelve the issue until next year.
The conference had made progress on plans to halt deforestation, which causes one fifth of the world’s emissions and agreeing to move to the next stage of talks. However there was no agreement on how to cut greenhouse gases and environment groups criticised the EU for “watering down” its own targets to cut carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. It left aid agencies frustrated at the failure of the summit and questioning the cost.
The talks, that mark the half way point between a summit in Bali last year and an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol in Copenhagen next year, had gone on for two weeks. More than 11,000 delegates took part including “climate change superstars” like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Gore and Bianca Jagger. The conference, that included a gala dinner serving traditional Polish cuisine, cost more than £23 million.
Related news and articles with perspectives on the conclusion / outcomes of the Poznan conference:
> Recriminations over adaptation fund overshadow Poznan close – 15 Dec 2008 – BusinessGreen
> Environmentalists disappointed more was not achieved – The Irish Times – Mon, Dec 15, 2008
> Next Climate Summit May Turn on Rich Nations’ Approach to Poor Ones – washingtonpost.com
> The Hindu : Front Page : At climate change meet, rich-poor divide perceptible
Poznan Climate Change Conference, December 2008: News & Developments
Posted by: Karl Ramjohn
UN FCCC post-Kyoto climate conference Poznan, Poland — opening press briefing by Yvo De Boer:
Further videos related to Poznan developments —> YouTube – climateconference’s Channel
Other news / articles related to Poznan conference:
> Poznan Climate Conference: Latest News and Global Perspectives – SustainabilityForum.Com
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