Day 6: Short report (COP15 UN Climate Change Conference)

Day 6: Roundup Discussion

In summary of sixth day discussion of COP15, Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aiping (right picture), who represents the Group of 77 (G-77) that walked out in anger from a consultation meeting with UN representatives last Friday has made a clear statement that he is not satisfied with the amount of fund that EU has pledge to give to developing countries for their emission reduction activities. Moreover, the fund which is allocated for the short-term period only starting from 2010 to 2012 shows the failure of EU to provide a long term financing mechanism, in where the Chinese vice Foreign Minister, He Yafei is also worried about.

Africans' Demand

On the other hand, 50 African countries have proposed a demand of 5 per cent from the rich countries’ GDP together with the request of emission reduction from 50 per cent by 2017 which they have made before to 65 per cent by 2020. Undoubtedly, it is very ambitious demand from these 50 African countries that lead by Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian Prime Minister and African Union Climate negotiator, but certainly it is really tough to developed countries to accept it. It is not because they are not affordable to follow it but the chronology of this conference before and current situations have proven that they are not yet ready to scarify their interest for the world interest. People around the world are just listening to the promise or hint of promise by the leaders of developed countries but yet no significant efforts and scarify have been made so far to show the seriousness of developed countries to address these climate change issues. In addition to that, Meles Zenawi has shown his concern and worry for this conference is not on emissions per se but rather to the financial aids that the developed countries will to give up for developing countries. Africa has demanded billions of dollars in compensation from rich countries to cope with climate change. It contributes just four percent of the world's total greenhouse gases, yet it is the continent most ravaged by the effects of global warming. Thus, the fund is really needed to cope with the climate change at this continent. The costs of this effort, according to a study by the UK-based Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, are expected to increase by more than 50 to 100 billions of dollars a year by 2020.

Abu Mardhiyyah

International Islamic University of Malaysia