Ruci Mafi, SPC - Copenhagen, Denmark 12 December - The European Union has been closely monitoring climate change discussions within the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) plenary to identify priority issues in the region.
European Commission Director General for the Environment, Karl Falkenberg said with the EU’s
commitment to ensuring climate change development issues were placed on the agenda at the COP 15, it was also important to know what AOSIS will come up with.
The EU currently supports projects in fisheries, agriculture, food security and forestry in the Pacific region.
Mr Falkenberg emphasized the need for a unified approach and voice to strengthen proposals and ensure financing is guaranteed.
By Friday last week over half of the EU’s 27 member states had indicated they would contribute about £1.35 billion a year between them for the next three years to climate change.
This amount includes nearly £265 million a year from the UK.
The European Union continues to received offers from within its members targeting a astronomical £2 billion a year on the table at the Copenhagen next week.
The largest contributions came from Britain at £800 million over the next three years and Sweden, at £690 million between 2010-2013.
In a statement deleivered earlier, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso indicated the need to deliver to Copenhagen a substantial EU offer of "fast start" funding towards a global kitty to help poorer countries.
While discussions are looking at financing, the EU has had to put on the table its carbon emission target.
However, reportrs noted that the French president Nicolas Sarkozy is ready for the EU to move to 30 per cent unconditionally.
No comments:
Post a Comment