The longest ever conference of the United Nations on climate change came to an end last weekend in Durban, South Africa. It was another round of intense, controversial, longer-than-expected negotiations that ended in the early hours of Sunday, after talks had overrun by a day and a half.
The talks ended with a deal that will see countries discuss, starting from next year, a new legally binding treaty covering all countries. It should be agreed upon by 2015 and come into effect by 2020.
Following this deal the EU also announced its intention to sign up for a second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol, therefore extending it beyond its expiry date in 2012.
The Durban deal also sets up bodies, including a Green Climate Fund, to collect, govern and hand out tens of billions of euros a year to undeveloped countries. However, we still need to know how the money will be collected and from whom. Other documents in the package stipulate rules for monitoring and verifying emissions reductions, protecting forests and transferring technologies to developing countries.
The Durban climate talks have once again demonstrated the EU’s leadership role in addressing climate change. More than 100 countries, mostly small island states and least developed countries, supported the EU’s proposal for a roadmap which would establish a new agreement that would commit all countries to emission cuts. This was clearly shown by the round of applause at the end of the EU Commissioner Conni Hedegaard’s speech during which she called for a legally binding framework that includes all countries.
In Durban, Malta fully supported the EU’s position to renew the Kyoto Protocol – the only treaty that commits rich countries to cut green house emissions – on condition that other major economies come forward and show their commitment to reduce their emissions. However, other signatories of the Kyoto Protocol such as Russia, Japan and Canada did not follow suit. Malta also strongly supported the establishment of the Green Climate Fund that can serve as a more effective and reliable means to address climate change financing in developing countries.
Malta and the EU have often reiterated that reductions of Europe’s 11 per cent share of global emissions will not save the planet. On the other hand, commitments by the other major emitters such as China, India and the US that account for 46 per cent of global emissions may make a difference. So ultimately the deal reached at Durban will not mean any reduction of greenhouse emissions from the rest of the world before 2020. Moreover, countries still have to go through an arduous process of negotiating a long-term legally binding framework. There is no doubt that the EU shall once again take a leading role to ensure that this is achieved.
The “Durban Deal” may have rescued this round of UN climate talks from the brink of collapse and failure. It is a deal that would not have been reached without the Commissioner Hedegaard’s perseverance, especially in the most delicate and tense moments of the negotiations when faced with strong opposition from the other major economies.
However, until the next summit of climate talks that will be held in Qatar next year, we shall still be questioning whether this deal can safeguard our planet from the 2°C increase in temperature, which according to scientists is the only way to ensure a sustainable natural environment for future generations.
Mr Pullicino is Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs.