Malta’s climate change negotiators ‘optimistic­’ about Cancun

As the Cancun climate change summit closes today, Christian Peregin catches up with the Maltese negotiation team to see what to expect after last year’s anticlimactic summit in Copenhagen.

Days before the climate change Cancun summit closes, Maltese negotiators are optimistic decisions will be taken to pave the way to a legally binding agreement next year.

The warm Mexican weather seems to have thawed the colder stand of heads of state who met up last year in freezing Copenhagen. However, media attention is also somewhat defrosted this time around, primarily because of the lack of top world leaders.

Describing the spirit of negotiations as “reassuringly positive”, a government negotiator said it was unlike last year’s anticlimactic summit, which was “plagued by political tension” due to high expectations.

“Cancun is a more pragmatic conference, aiming to consolidate the progress made in Copenhagen in operational decisions. Some heads of state are present but they will not be involved directly in the negotiation process,” the government spokesman said.

“The positive mood apparent during the first week of negotiations has indicated a balanced agreement on a set of decisions in Cancun is within reach... a positive outcome from Cancun may be a realistic possibility.”

A legally binding agreement, which was not achieved last year, is not expected at this year’s summit either.

“The main objective of the EU is to achieve a positive outcome consisting in a balanced set of decisions across the negotiating tracks. These would allow for continued discussions in 2011 with a view to achieve a global comprehensive legally binding agreement as the ultimate outcome of the international climate negotiations.”

The key issue in Cancun is how to build on the Kyoto Protocol: whether developed countries will accept post-2012 emission reduction commitments in return for adequate actions from emerging economies and progress on other aspects on negotiations for both sides.

Malta, which has participated actively in EU internal negotiations to form the EU’s negotiating position for the conference, is represented by four delegates led by Resources Minister George Pullicino, who arrived this week.

“Malta supports the EU in pushing for an international agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which addresses the climate change in an ambitious and adequate manner in accordance with the recommendations of science. The need to register progress in the negotiations is more urgent than ever in our challenge to combat climate change and, particularly, to keep global average temperature below the 2°C target confirmed by the Copenhagen Accord,” the government spokesman said.

Malta has pledged €800,000 as part of the EU’s €7.2 billion “fast-start” financing pledge until 2012 in the context of the Copenhagen Accord. Malta will give €150,000 this year, €300,000 next year and €350,000 in 2012.

Most of this year’s sum (€125,000) was allocated to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, which aims at combating climate change in developing countries by creating a global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. A sum of €25,000 was given to the Diplo Foundation, which has focused on capacity building for adaptation by training diplomats from small island developing states.

An expression of interest is being issued for the funds of 2011 and 2012, which are planned to be directed towards climate change related projects in Africa. Preference will be given to projects that enable poor communities to build their resilience to climatic variability and to adapt to long-term climate change while pursuing sustainable development.

Meanwhile, Malta’s application last year to become an Annex 1 country, which gives it obligations of a developed country on the same footing as its EU peers, formally came into force on October 26.