CLIMATE | 13.12.2011

Breakthrough in Durban: Pragmatism over perfection

 

The agreement sets plans for a successor to Kyoto

The longest UN climate summit of all time has come to a close with delegates agreeing to extend Kyoto. Agreement was reached in protracted early morning discussions, with a formula that is practical rather than perfect.

 

Following extended talks, which stretched into the early hours of Sunday, delegates representing the 194 countries participating in the UN climate talks in Durban, finally reached agreement.

It took an extra two nights of negotiations but UN climate chief Christiana Figueres finally announced that ministers had reached a last-minute agreement on a new text known as the Durban platform for enhanced action.

It's unclear if being at the negotiation table 30 hours after the climate talks officially closed is what finally forced the exhausted delegates to agree. Perhaps they were moved by an impassioned speech from South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who chaired the talks.

She made an urgent last-minute appeal on Saturday night, calling for delegates to seek unity.

"Let us agree to accept the Durban outcome package. I feel the four pieces of the package before us .... represent a comprehensive, balanced and credible set of outcomes for this conference," she said.

I think we all realize (the results) are not perfect, but we should not let the perfect become the enemy of the good and the possible."

Kyoto rescued

Nkoana-Mashabane called on delegates to back a text she admitted was not perfectThe Durban platform opens the doors to new global climate politics, which aim to cut carbon emissions, in order to keep global temperatures at two degrees Celsius. Limiting climate change to a rise of two degrees is viewed as crucial to avoid dangerous tipping points that would lead to runaway warming. At present, climate models predict a rise of about four degrees.

The Durban agreement sets out a roadmap towards a successor to the Kyoto Protocol that will force all participating countries, including emerging economies and developing nations, to reduce their emissions output. The first commitment period of Kyoto ends in one year. The Durban platform calls for an extension until either 2017 or 2020, but the exact date will be set next year.

Equal footing

The Durban Platform does away with the differentiation between developed and developing countries. India strongly opposed this move, arguing that it should not be held to the same standard as industrialized nations.

Kyoto was initially drafted to reduce emissions in the industrial world. At that time, India wasn't forced to participate as it was not yet considered a major industrial nation. Indian negotiators refused to agree to new climate regulations, fearing this could limit their ability to expand their economy.

There were some tired eyes as the negotiations went on longer than expectedBut the breakthrough came with a change of phrasing. "Legal outcome" in an earlier draft of the Durban platform was changed to "an agreed outcome with legal force under the convention applicable to all parties." That won the consent of both Chinese and Indian delegates, bringing both nations into the fold.

The new agreement isn't exactly flawless. Even UN climate chief Figueres acknowledged the final wording on the legal form of a future deal is ambiguous. But observers say the talks bring the world a step closer to an agreement on how to deal with climate change.

New alliances

In an unprecedented new alliance with the poorest developing nations as well as small islands states, the EU was able to push through many of its demands at the talks in Durban. The bloc insisted that a timeline for a new agreement be laid out, despite reluctance on the part of India, China and the US.

For days on end, the delegates squabbled and bargained, seeking common ground.

Martin Kaiser is a climate expert from the action group Greenpeace. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, he acknowledged that the Durban platform has its shortcomings. But he sees it as a huge accomplishment that the talks have brought major emitters like India, China, Brazil and South Africa into a roadmap which will secure an overarching global deal. But he warned that failure to engage the US on binding targets was the "sword of Democles."

Many of the pressing questions about the nature of a new global climate deal have been referred to working groups. They will be tasked with finding a way to get the world's top emitters on board. But for now, delegates are celebrating the success of bring the US and China into the fold for the first time. China, the US and India - which rank as the world's three largest emitters of greenhouse gases - were not covered by Kyoto. But they have pledged to join the new pact, which would take effect in 2020.

Scientists warn the planet is running out of time when it comes to cutting emissionsOxfam climate expert Jan Kowalzig said this victory comes at a price. "For China, the price is that the form of the future deal has been left open. For the US and for China, there was also a price to pay. We are leaving Durban without an agreement that allows us to pursue ambitious measures for protecting the global climate."

Financing let-down

Kowalzig added that Duban saw little progress on issues such as the financing for poor nations, which are already feeling the effects of climate change.

"That was on the agenda but only a rather weak working program has been outlined which has no concrete goals. It doesn't tell us what will happen," he said.

While Durban may not be a thing of beauty, it is considered a major breakthrough in the UN climate talks. The first step towards obligatory, worldwide emission reduction. Whether it will see the world prevent temperatures from climbing more than 2 degrees remains to be seen. Scientists warn that the planet is running out of time. They say climate change is happening now and bringing with it more frequent droughts, flooding, forest fires and extreme weather events such as typhoons and hurricanes.

The true strength of the Durban platform to address the effects of climate change will be tested as the details are hammered out over the next five years.

There was disappointment for supporters of the existing Kyoto agreement late on Monday when Canada announced it would withdraw from the protocol for the time being.

Speaking on his returrn home from Durban, Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent said that the country would work towards a new future climate deal, but claimed that it would be impossible for Canada to meet the exisiting terms of the protocol.

Autor: Helle Jeppesen / shc
Editor: Richard Connor

 

 

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