Tuvalu urges capacity building from Adaptation Fund Board

Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu (Right)

By Stanley Simpson Climate Pasifika Media Team

Cancun, Mexico - Tuvalu’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Enele Sopoaga has urged the climate change Adaptation Fund Board to provide greater capacity building for islands that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

“The issue of capacity is real and should be addressed seriously,” Sopoaga told Board chairman Farouk Khan.

“I urge the Board to conduct workshops training and awareness development at regional and national level to enable these countries to draft and come up with proposals that can be submitted for consideration. “

The Adaptation Fund Board approves funding to countries that meet the criteria for climate change adaptation projects.

However Sopoaga pointed out that Small Island States were struggling to fulfill the eligibility criteria to access funds.

“In order for entities to be accredited as National Implementing Agencies they have to prove capacity for sound financial management and sound reporting practices among others – many of our small island countries don’t have that capacity because of our limited human capacity, and also our limited infrastructure,” said Sopoaga.

He urged the board to bear in mind Article 12.8 of the Kyoto Protocol which calls for support for developing countries that are particularly vulnerable.

In response chairman Farouk Khan noted that has heard the issue for capacity building for some time now.

“We are very conscious of reducing the number of standards that are applicable in this case without undermining the integrity and fiduciary standards – but yes the capacity question is there,” Khan said.

“I have addressed that question to our bilateral donors and Multilateral Implementing Agencies encouraging them to help facilitate the developing countries – particularly the small island countries to help establish the National Implementing Entities.”

“The Board is conscious of the need for capacity. We are throwing our weight behind every other initiative that can boost that capacity in the developing countries.”

However he insisted the requirements they have listed are not as vigorous or not as extensive as those one would find in any other board.

“It is also important that countries work towards overcoming these barriers themselves. It is time for countries to take charge of that situation – ask your bilateral partners to help assist in implementing or promoting your National Implementing Agencies. “

Deputy PM Sopoaga says capacity building is needed not only drafting proposals but also for implementing them.

“When you are talking about international standards, fiduciary standards of the World Bank, these are terminology and standards that are quite foreign to countries like Tuvalu with small administrations. We really need assistance in understanding and satisfying these standards.”

“We also need capacity building in actually implementing the projects in accordance with the criteria of the Board.”

He says small island vulnerable states need access to funds for adaptation to build seawalls, water storage and similar projects but if these criteria stand in the way, they need to be addressed.

He further urged a wider scope in projects eligible for the Adaptation Fund.

“They need to also improve the capacity of the community to food security, even education to help our children cope with the impact of climate change – that needs to be part of the adaptation actions as well.”

“Adaptation is also about human development.”

Q and A with Ambassador Colin Beck, Solomon Islands

Ambassador Colin Beck, Solomon Islands Ambassador to the UN

3 December, Cancun, Mexico - After five days of negotiations, Solomon Islands Ambassador the United Nations in New York, Colin Beck shared with Climate Pasifika Media Journalist, Makereta Komai his thoughts on what has been achieved so far from the climate change negotiations currently underway in Cancun, Mexico.

Ambassador Beck: Things are moving but as you will appreciate, these are difficult issues and they have their own pace and time to deal with. These difficult issues have been there for the last three years and continue to hamper progress. But, there is progress. After all the talks this past few days, we are beginning to understand each other more, working on a common text. We should start delivering some decisions on Sunday. On Saturday (04 Dec) we will take a stock take so it will be an appropriate time to see things through.

Q: What are some of the issues that’s likely to be in these set of decisions that you hope will be ready Sunday?

Ambassador Beck: Most of the groups that have been broken up into smaller groups are basically working on these decisions. One of the important ones for the small island developing states is the legal form discussion which happened today (Friday). We keep talking about having a legally binding agreement but we need some sort of Work Programme to achieve that. This is being discussed in an informal manner in the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Co-operative Action (AWG-LCA). The AOSIS view was to have a decision on having a discussion leading to a legally binding agreement.

Q: So there is now a formal process to discuss legal form?

Ambassador Beck: From today’s consultations, the facilitator has heard AOSIS on this and will be taking the matter to the COP President to look into this and to try and include it as part of the outcomes from the Cancun negotiations. We hope that during the intercessional meetings leading to South Africa, we will have on-going discussions in a formalised way. At the moment, it’s being done in an informal manner in which a Mexican envoy is consulting with various negotiating groups. What we are saying is that we need to get everybody under one roof to start the process of looking at the form of a new legally binding agreement.

Q: What exactly is the legal form?

Ambassador Beck: We are talking about two things – one is the Convention, which we are proposing some legal form. It basically is to take stock of where things are, to have a vision, to effect technology transfer. It’s one thing to talk about finance and hear pledges and another thing to have a legal power to force donors to deliver. If a country has a commitment of $600 billion, they must be held accountable by a legally binding agreement that forces them to live up to their promise.

Q: Does that mean then, currently, whatever set of decisions that out of the LCA and KP negotiations will not be legally binding?

Ambassador Beck: What is happening now is all the different working groups are trying to have a set of decisions leading up to Durban in South Africa. There are a lot of unfinished business in terms of negotiations but we need a process to capture where we are and to have the process continue or otherwise we will be like Copenhagen. As soon as we finished, we have to start again and come up with new text and work their way back to the previous negotiations.

But under the Kyoto Protocol, there is a legal requirement that Parties need to go into a second commitment period. This is not voluntary but a legal requirement under the Protocol. Only the United States is not bound by the Protocol but other Parties will need to look at that second commitment period. For the Kyoto Protocol, it’s only going to be amendments where we basically put in new targets to achieve temperature that will ensure the health of the environment.

Q: In the AOSIS proposal, Ambassador Dessima Williams said this was not the first time that AOSIS has brought a proposal like this to COP – it also did for the Kyoto Protocol..

Ambassador Beck: Even if we look back in history, the Kyoto Protocol was a draft presented by AOSIS.SO it’s not something new to the AOSIS. But we have done in terms of the Protocol is put in some amendments to capture the current status of the negotiations and off course add in commitment numbers for industrialised countries to adhere to.

Q: Japan, Russia and China have now declared their interest not to enter into a second commitment period. What does this mean for the Pacific?

Ambassador Beck: What Japan and others are doing re just restating their positions. It is really unhelpful when we are all supposed to look for common grounds. If we restate positions it means we are not moving the process along. I think they are legally bounded by the Protocol to adopt a second commitment period. It’s not like a political declaration. We cannot treat this international treaty and use them at our convenience to serve our interest. They also need to observe their global commitment to reduce the global temperature as climate change will also affect Japan, Russia and Canada. They really have to be part of the solution rather than isolate themselves. This may be their negotiating strategy but it’s most unfortunate that it’s happening here in Cancun.

Q: The argument that Japan is advancing is that the Kyoto Protocol’s commitments are much less than what the Copenhagen Accord requires, thus the need not to continue with KP.

Ambassador Beck: Let us look at the second commitment period and make sure that the commitments are more than the Copenhagen Accord. Let me make it clear, the Copenhagen Accord is done voluntarily whereas the Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding agreement. A recent report by UNEP revealed that even the Copenhagen Accord will not achieve the less than 2 degrees. It’s only a commitment, whether the countries will adhere to it is another thing. This is where for small island states we need the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol to give us certainty that we will survive. We don’t need to gamble our survival. What we are asking within the KP is to have ambitious targets. The first target was a first commitment and it has a period. And legally, that period will come to an end in 2012. So that is the reason why 2013 must be more higher than he Copenhagen Accord pledges. We should not try to look it by just comparing the two. Both of them are already dangerous. If we maintain business as usual, then certainly the impact for Pacific Island Countries would be worse. If we go along with what the pledges in the Copenhagen Accord, we will see temperatures rise by more than 3 degrees. So either way, it is still frightening. Therefore, we need a second commitment period with more ambitious targets than the first period.

Two more countries withdraw from extension to Kyoto Protocol

UN Climate Change Chief Christiana Figueres

“It is of deep concern that we can easily retract from this multilateral agreement. The question is how we deal with these countries who are trying to create an uncertain world" - Ambassador Colin Beck, Solomon Islands Ambassador to the UN

By Makereta Komai, Climate Pasifika Media in Cancun, Mexico

04 December 2010 Cancun --- Two more developed nations, Russia and Canada have declared their interest not to continue with the Kyoto Protocol, when it expires in 2012.

They follow Japan’s announcement not to renew another commitment period for the Protocol. Japan reiterated its decision this week during the global climate change negotiations in Cancun, Mexico.

UN climate change chief, Christiana Figueres told a media briefing at the end of the weeklong negotiations, “these are decisions taken by sovereign Parties and nothing will change that.”

“Russia and Canada are known positions and there are few more developed countries with similar stated positions.

“The only way out is to find a common ground and compromised solution here at Cancun.

Figueres said there is no way Cancun will be able to deliver a second commitment period to the Kyoto Protocol.

“Parties need to find a compromise that will make everybody equally comfortable or equally uncomfortable with a view to addressing the issue at a later stage, possibly in South Africa in 2011, said Figueres.

On Japan, Figueres said it has been has been very clear about its position for a long time.

“This is no surprise. However Japan has stated that it will uphold its 25 percent proposal under the Kyoto Protocol, just as developed countries need to do so.

She clarified that Japan’s insistence of a new single legal framework was an attempt to rope in the United States to become part of an agreement that will mandate Parties to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Currently, the United States is not a party to the Kyoto Protocol.

But, under the Copenhagen Accord, the United States has committed a 30 percent reduction in 2025 and 42 percent reduction by 2030, in line with the goal to reduce emissions to 83 percent by 20150. This position was submitted to the UN climate change Secretariat in Bonn in January this year.

Given the divergent positions on the future of the Kyoto Protocol, Figueres said the challenge for Cancun is to find a way to formalise these positions within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

“We need to go beyond the stated positions, beyond national positions and look for areas of compromise so that they can meet each other on the other side.

“These are realities and these positions will not change dramatically here, said Figueres at the end of five days of negotiations.

On the question of avoiding a Kyoto Protocol gap after 2012, Figueres suggests that Parties come to a decision on the future of the Protocol first before the issue of the gap is resolved.

Solomon Islands lead negotiator, Ambassador Colin Beck in a brief response said the Pacific and small island nations are disappointed with the decision of Japan and other countries to withdraw from Kyoto’s second commitment period.

“It is of deep concern that we can easily retract from this multilateral agreement. The question is how we deal with these countries who are trying to create an uncertain world, said Ambassador Beck.

Executive Director of Ole Siosiomaga, an environmental NGO in Samoa, Fiu Elisara says Japan’s stance is unfortunate as many rich countries had not delivered on their commitments under Kyoto.

“It is a huge concern for us because that is the only internationally legally binding agreement that we can hold them to account in terms of commitments they made in Kyoto.

“To date, many of them have not delivered on those commitments and even the promises for a second commitment period are now, as we find in Cancun, very problematic", said Elisara.

At the end of first week of negotiations, a draft text approved in Tianjin in China is still being refined by negotiators, in addition to a Conference Room Paper (CRP) by a Zimbabwean government delegate, Margaret Mukahanana-Sagarwe, who was formerly chair of the Ad Hoc Working on Long Term Co-operative Action (AWG-LCA).

“The CRP is a non paper and was prepared to gauge the status of the growing consensus and explore issues that negotiators will need to concentrate more time on, said Figueres.

Along with the LCA text, there is also an emerging text on Kyoto Protocol.

“There is no other secret text emerging from Mexico, as claimed by some. The only texts we have are the LCA, Kyoto Protocol and the non paper that will be tabled on Saturday.

Rush to disburse fast start finance for 2010, U.S commits $21million for the Pacific

Dr. Jonathon Pershing, Deputy, US Special envoy on climate change

By Makereta Komai, Climate Pasifika in Cancun, Mexico

03 DECEMBER 2010 CANCUN --- The race is on to disburse the US$10 billion committed for the fast start finance for 2010.

With only just over 20 days left to the end of the year, rich nations who’ve promised funds are now acting with haste to spend the money before the next commitment period.

Increasingly this week in Cancun, a number of these nations have convened special briefings to spell out how and who will benefit from their bilateral and multilateral funding commitments.

The United States announced on Thursday it was working towards spending its US$1.7 billion in fast start finance committed for 2010.

US deputy special envoy on climate change, Dr Jonathan Pershing reiterated that the US was moving quickly to disburse the funds to ‘help address the urgent and immediate needs of the most vulnerable countries.’

“We are working to make critical investments today that have short term transformative impacts and to scale up resources quickly by delivering assistance through existing funding channels".

The majority of the U.S climate finance is administered by USAID and the departments of State and the Treasury.

In the Pacific, the U.S has promised US$21 million to assist Small Island States adapt to climate change, as announced by Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton last month on her tour of Asia.

Apart from the announcement of the fund by Secretary Clinton, no other information is available on how the fund will be distributed amongst the Pacific Island Countries, some of whom fall under the category of vulnerable states.

Myra Moekaa, head of Cook Islands delegation here in Cancun told Climate Pasifika Media the smaller islands in the Pacific hope to get a meaningful share of the promised U.S fast start finance.

“We hope that bulk of the fund doesn’t only go to the larger countries and consideration be given to adaptation projects on the ground and not simply for enabling activities and pilot projects. We’d like assistance with the concrete projects on the ground, said Ms Moekaa.

Ambassador Colin Beck of the Solomon Islands says changes in the U.S internal politics could affect the flow of the US funding commitments.

“The Republicans now have a majority within the House of Representatives and they have in no uncertain terms, given the domestic stress on their financial situation say whether the climate change money will go out to developing countries as committed under the Copenhagen Accord.

But, that again from media sources and from reactions of various letters by republicans within the system, said Ambassador Beck.

The U.S will re-open its development aid office, USAID in Suva to serve as a base for its work in the region.

To date, very little information is available publicly on how the US$21 million will be spent in the Pacific.

“USAID offices are our links to disbursing the funds, said USAID senior official, Maura O’Neill via telecast from Washington D.C.

She clarified that funds available for 2010 on climate change are ‘indeed new and additional’.

“These are scaled up finances and represents significant new dollars in our overseas development assistance (ODA), said O’Neill.

Information on the fast start finance is available on http://www.faststartfinace.org/



Pacific raise profile at climate change summit in Cancun

Cancun, Mexico - The Cook Islands, Solomon Islands and Samoa were three Pacific island nations showcased during a side event at the Cancun COP. Titled “Pacific island countries – taking action on climate change: Current and planned climate change actions in the Pacific”, the side event allowed for each to highlight the different areas of climate change work in their country, obstacles faced as well as lessons learnt.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the University of the South Pacific (USP) also made presentations on the regional actions underway and planned for the future.

Over the coming days we’ll bring you highlights of each of the country presentations.

SPREP

View more presentations from ClimatePasifika.

Cook_Islands

View more presentations from ClimatePasifika.

Solomon Islands

View more presentations from ClimatePasifika.

Samoa

View more presentations from ClimatePasifika.

Cancun presentation

View more presentations from ClimatePasifika.

USP

View more presentations from ClimatePasifika.

Cook Islands shares lessons learnt in preparing climate change report



Mii Matamaki of the Cook Islands in middle

Cancun Mexico - The Cook Islands were featured in a Pacific side event at the Cancun climate change talks, highlighting the obstacles they face as a small island nation in coping with the impacts of climate change.

One of the key criteria that parties to the UN climate change convention must adhere to, is the completion of a ‘national communications’. This is a status report on all climate change related matters in the country, including that of a greenhouse gas emission inventory. This report is to be submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework to the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) http://unfccc.int/national_reports/items/1408.php

Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming bringing about climate change that has consequences.

The Cook Islands completed their first national communications report in 1999 and are now in the process of finalising their second report for which there have been numerous challenges.

Mii Matamaki, the Second National Communication Project Coordinator at the National Environment Service in the Cook Islands shared these obstacles in the four years it has taken for the Cook Islands to complete their second national communications report.

“One of the major concerns we have is that there is no full time person committed to the project, leading the different components,” explained Matamaki.

“Most of the activities were done through consultancies which have also taken time to develop, we’ve also had work which had to be redone which took more time and further to that the delay in receiving funding has also added to dragging out this process.”

One of the key highlights noted in producing this report is the increase in greenhouse gas emissions of the Cook Islands by 33% in comparison to 10 years ago. Matamaki attributes this to the heavy reliance on fossil fuel which is now being addressed by the Cook Islands Government.

“Despite this, the Cook Islands contribute a very insignificant amount to the global greenhouse gas emissions, but we have noticed an increase in that tiny amount by over 30%.”

Along with mitigation activities in the Cook Islands, the nation has also worked towards adapting to the impacts of climate change. A vulnerability assessment carried out highlighted ‘water’ as a priority issue to be addressed. From this the nation undertook adaptation activities to increase the water capacity in the communities such as providing water tanks and educational awareness on water conservation. Full detail of these and other adaptation activities will be available in the Cook Islands second national communications report.

“We are coming close to now completing it and hope it will be done by January next year, once it is we will do a national launch in the Cook Islands followed by presenting it to the Secretariat of the UNFCCC”.

Global solidarity needed at Cancun climate change talks

Ambassador Elisaia Feturi with fellow delegate

“Climate change is a global threat and knows no boundaries. We are all part of a global family and we need solidarity amongst all negotiating groups, as it’s a common problem that can only be approached from a common perspective.” - Ambassador Elisaia Feturi, Samoa's Ambassador to the United Nations

Cancun, Mexico - Global solidarity is being asked of negotiators this week at the climate change talks in Cancun.

As the world comes together for the UN Climate Change talks in Cancun, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) remain firm in their commitment to a global agreement bringing deeper emission cuts.

The Pacific island countries have joined forces with other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a negotiating body under the climate change convention.

AOSIS has been consistent in their call for stabilising temperature levels at 1.5 degrees Celsius, coining the slogan – “1.5 to stay alive”. Ambassador Elisaia Feturi, the Ambassador from Samoa to the United Nations, made a plea for global solidarity in Cancun, Mexico this week.

“Climate change is a global threat and knows no boundaries. We are all part of a global family and we need solidarity amongst all negotiating groups, as it’s a common problem that can only be approached from a common perspective.”

The Pacific islands are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, however they have also contributed the very least to the problem. Over the next two weeks in Cancun at the climate change talks, the Pacific is trying to ensure the survival of future generations. Working in a block with AOSIS they are asking countries to establish policies that will lower the rate of greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming.

In order to live with the effect of climate change due to global warming form historical greenhouse gas emissions, countries are already learning to adapt. Inability to grow root crops due to saltwater intrusion, extreme weather events and droughts are part and parcel of the climate change impacts the Pacific is experiencing. Adapting to live with these effects is becoming a way of life for the Pacific. Science says that unless the greenhouse gas emissions are lowered, these impacts will only grow worse.

“I think when some people are talking about climate change, unfortunately most of them think it is a future event and hasn’t happened yet, but for us – we are talking about impacts that are already happening,” said Ambassador Feturi.

“We need to stress the urgency of the situation, the global community needs to understand the urgency of our situation and work hand in hand as one to combat climate change.”

Pacific Youth vow action on climate change

Krishneil Narayan

By Stanley Simpson for Climate Pasifika Media Team

2 December Cancun, Mexico - Pacific youth delegates  took a frontline role on behalf of their peers from around the world – calling on leaders to guarantee young people a safe climate change future.

Fiji student and environmental advocate Krishneil Narayan spoke on behalf of world youths - at a plenary alongside UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and declared that young people still have faith in the process – and will not give up on it.

He cited the work being done by Pacific youth who are already battling the harsh impacts of climate change.

“We youth in the Pacific are very concerned about our future in those islands, and instead of sitting around and debating the technicalities and the texts in square brackets - like our lovely politicians did last year in Copenhagen – we are actually getting to work,” Krishneil said.

“The youth in the Pacific have collaborated with each other and with their respective government departments, regional NGOs and diplomatic missions, to start community based climate change adaptation programmes.”

Narayan also took time to describe the ‘Pacific Climate Leadership Program’, the first such program in the Pacific region.

“Through our collaborations with Pacific stakeholders we are now able to provide leadership trainings not only to youths but also women and men from all ages who go on to manage community based adaptation programs, we have started with six different Pacific Island countries.”

The commitment of young people was visible today as many wore blue t-shirts quoting Solomon Island youth Christina Ora: “You’ve been negotiating all my life, you cannot tell me you need more time.”

Ora made the comment at the climate change conference last year in Copenhagen.

(http://climatepasifika.blogspot.com/2009/12/you-have-been-negotiating-all-my-life.html)

Fiji calls for better access to climate change funds

Mr. Navoti with member of Fiji delegation in discussion at Cancun COP

By Stanley Simpson, Climate Pasifika Media Team

2 December, Cancun, Mexico -  Fiji is calling for better access to funds that will help small island states adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Political and Treaties – Sainivalati Navoti says they would like to see the negotiation process result in a finance mechanism that allows easy access to funds – and ‘big negotiations’ are going on now on that fund.

“Fiji like most Pacific island states are here to see the creation of a new fund to be called the Climate Fund, or Green Fund or whatever name it is to enable easy access to adapt to or mitigate the effects of climate change,” Navoti says.

“That is a primary target and we are trying our best to negotiate on that.”

Negotiations on the fund has been going on over the last two days and Navoti reveals that “there is still very polarized views between the developing countries and the donor countries. “

He pointed out that under the Copenhagen Accord – developed countries were willing to put $100 billion for financing on climate change, but developing countries were wanting greater commitments.

“The G77 and China - of which we are a member of - is advancing the argument that $100 billion is not sufficient to comprehensively address the potential implication or adverse effects of climate change,” says Navoti.

“What we then advanced is a shares contribution from developed states of 1.5 per cent of their GDP. Powers like European Union, US, Canada, Australia and NZ, they said no they will not move on that. So now we are going to be innovative and try to come up with a model that could facilitate the setting up of that fund.”

“For Fiji, what we need is sufficient funds for us to access easily. Right now the processes we have in processing some of these climate funds – such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is quite cumbersome. We spend all efforts, almost costing us an arm and a leg to get it, and we don’t want a repeat of that under the new fund.

“So we’re looking for a fund that is predictable – a fund that is there – a fund that is sustainable for a long period of time – and one that allows for easy access.

Scene@COP16: Pacific delegate at work

1 December Cancun Mexico - Chanel Iroi of the Solomon Islands delegation found somewhere quiet to work in between informal meetings at the Cancun Climate Change talks. With the large numbers of participants attending this meeting, available power sources for laptops, available computers for use around the venue and reliable internet connections have caused problems and stemmed the flow of work for some.

The Cancun climate change conference is held across five different buildings throughout two different venues. The Media and some meeting rooms are a 10 minute bus ride away the main conference room, with a spate of meeting rooms less than a 2 minute walk away from the main conference room, all within the Moon Palace.

The second conference venue is the Cancun Messe, this is where side events are held, as well as the main security checkpoint, exhibit booths and meeting accreditation facilities. In order to reach the Moon Palace, you must first travel by special bus to the Cancun Messe, before clearing security to board the second bus to Moon Palace.

Scene@COP16: Protest – Respect for Recyclers: We are Climate Fighters

1 December Cancun, Mexico - A protest outside the meeting rooms of the Cancun Climate Change talks yesterday drew much interest. The international coalition of grass root recyclers and waste pickers united with citizens’ groups from around the world to call for an end to wasted resources in incinerators and landfills, and to demand respect and support for world’s recyclers and the planet.

 

“The work of wastepickers should be respected and recognized because of its contribution in combating climate change and reducing emissions, alleviating poverty. There are millions of people employed in this sector,” said Simon Mbata from the South African Wastepickers Association. “One of the biggest enemies of climate change and recyclers are CDM and its projects, which do not combat climate change – but spread emissions throughout the continents and destroying the livelihoods of millions.”

AOSIS proposals receive overwhelming support at Cancun talks

Ambassador Williams

By Makereta Komai, Climate Pasifika Media Team in Cancun

02 DECEMBER 2010 CANCUN, MEXICO ---- Overwhelming support at the Cancun talks for two proposals by the Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS).

Led by Grenada and Tuvalu, the AOSIS group was given the green light for its proposals to set up two separate contact groups to discuss a legal form to the new agreement likely to be in place by 2011 and resolving a gap that will be created after the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

Ambassador Dessima Williams of Grenada said the small and vulnerable countries that make up AOSIS want a ‘space’ to freely discuss the architecture and legal form of a new legally binding agreement to be formalized in Durban, South Africa in 2011.

All members of the Pacific Islands Forum, except Australia and New Zealand are members of the AOSIS. It’s one of the recognised negotiating groups at the UN climate change talks.

“These have always been considered in open-ended negotiating forums - open to all Parties and observers. This was the case in Kyoto, for example, for the consideration of the proposed Kyoto Protocol.

“It is not efficient, nor useful, to consider the proposals in a plenary meeting of the COP and as with other items on the COP Agenda, the proposal requires its own separate discussion, said Ambassador Williams.

Despite opposition from India, China and Saudi Arabia the President of COP16 ruled in favour of the proposal, to a rousing applause from delegates and observers.

India and China reminded the chair of the limited time for negotiations here in Cancun and not allow the AOSIS proposal to side track the process. They argued that the new agreement and its legal form are already part of the negotiations in the two Ad Hoc Working Groups on long term co-operative action (LCA) and the Kyoto Protocol (KP).

Both AOSIS and Tuvalu had submitted similar proposals to the climate change Secretariat last year under Article 17 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Tuvalu chief negotiator, Ian Fry said it had been an 18 months wait for the proposal t come before the Conference of Parties.

“We support the AOSIS proposal that a contact group be established to explore means to reach an agreement in South Africa, said Fry.

Ambassador Williams said despite the multitude of meetings that have been taken place in recent years, “we do not have an effective, visible and lasting place for discussions on architectural proposals or on legal form.”

“Legal form is important as it provides certainty to the outside world – the governments, the markets, the private sector that we are trying to get involved in this process – all of them need legal certainty to effectively contribute to this process and to make the investments needed.

This is not the first time that AOSIS has taken such a leadership role.

“The Secretariat’s records will show that AOSIS tabled the first draft of the Kyoto Protocol, well in advance of its final adoption”, said Ambassador Williams.

“In that regard, AOSIS would call for creation of an open-ended contact group to consider proposals related to this agenda item, to be conducted under the direct guidance and facilitation of the COP Presidency.

COP President, Patricia Espinosa after consulting with her advisers approved the setting up of the contact groups, warning however that the work of this new contact group will not hinder the current negotiations in the LCA and KP processes.

“This will allow more dialogue and better understanding between Parties before a final agreement is ready, said Espinosa.

Japan opposes extension of Kyoto Protocol

Hideki Minamikawa, Minister for Global Environmnet Affairs of Japan

"It's shocking that at a time when the whole world is seeking to strengthen the climate regime Japan wants to kill the treaty that bears its name" -  Mohamed Adow, Senior Climate Change Advisor, Christian Aid. 

By Makereta Komai, Climate Pasifika Media Team in Cancun, Mexico

01 DECEMBER 2010, CANCUN, MEXICO --- Japan says it will oppose any extension to the Kyoto Protocol (KP), the only legally binding global agreement on climate change.

And its chief negotiator here in Cancun, the vice minister for global environment affairs, Hideki Minamikawa confirmed to the international media that ‘continuing with the second commitment period does not make any sense.’

Instead, Japan supports a new international framework with the participation of all major emitters based on the Copenhagen Accord.

According to Tokyo’s calculations, the current Kyoto Protocol covers only a small part of developed countries, representing 27 percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion.

“That is why Japan is aiming at an early adoption of a new single legally binding instrument that is fair and effective, said Minamikawa.

He brushed aside media claims that Japan shocked the Cancun negotiations with its decision not to support a second commitment period for the Protocol.

“This is not new. The position has been clearly decided by the Ministerial meeting president by our Prime Minister.

Minister Miniamikawa said his country has not abandoned the Kyoto Protocol as it one of the Parties to the agreement adopted in1997.

One of his negotiators, Jun Arima said, “KP’s coverage is very limited. Rather than jumping to another legally binding agreement, Parties should consider jumping to one that is more effective, referring to the Copenhagen Accord.”

Here in Cancun, Japan will support a framework that is well balanced and comprehensive, a similar position adopted by the United States at the current negotiations.

The United States is not a party to the Kyoto Protocol. When its chief negotiator, Dr Jonathan Pershing was pressed for a comment on Japan’s position, Dr Pershing said the United States will not comment on a sovereign decision of a Party and will respect whatever decision it takes.

A major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions .These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, the first commitment period comes to an end in 2012.

Green groups reacted immediately after Japan hinted Monday night that it does not want to continue with a second commitment period.

Friends of the Earth said Japan had thrown down an obstacle at Cancun, where the future of the Protocol is part of a complex, interlinked haggle, by speaking so bluntly.

"With this position, Japan isolates itself from the rest of the world. Even worse, this step undermines the ongoing talks and is a serious threat to the progress needed here in Cancun," said Yuri Onodera of Friends of the Earth Japan.

Chirstian Aid echoed similar opposition.

"Japan's hard line position on the Kyoto Protocol puts the global climate architecture at risk. This position violates Japan's legally binding commitment, turns its backon science, and disrespects the people most vulnerable to climate change. It's shocking that at a time when the whole world is seeking to strengthen the climate regime Japan wants to kill the treaty that bears its name", said Mohamed Adow, Senior Climate Change Advisor, Christian Aid.