Ban urges unity in quest for gas target
Source: Agencies |
December 16, 2009, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
RICH and poor countries must "stop pointing fingers" and increase pledges to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to salvage the faltering talks on a global-warming pact, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday.
Ban's warning in an interview with The Associated Press came as world leaders started arriving in Copenhagen, kicking the two-week conference into high gear in its quest to deliver a deal to curb emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
Key issues remain, and the conference has been marked by sharp disagreements between developing and developed nations.
Ban said he remained cautiously optimistic about a successful outcome, but warned that negotiators on both sides must work out their differences and not leave it to world leaders to resolve the major problems.
He said both rich and poor countries "must do more" to keep carbon emissions below dangerous levels and rich countries should step up commitments to provide a steady flow of money for poor countries to combat climate-linked economic disruptions such as rising seas, drought and floods.
"This is a historically important and politically and morally important imperative for world leaders to achieve a deal in Copenhagen," Ban said.
If negotiators cannot resolve those problems before about 110 world leaders start arriving, "the outcome will be either a weak one, or there will be no agreement."
"This will be a serious mistake on the part of the negotiators and the leaders if they go back empty-handed," he said.
The conference's working groups were finalizing two years of work yesterday and drawing up recommendations on such issues as deforestation and technology transfers.
The world leaders are aiming for a political agreement in Copenhagen rather than a legally binding treaty. Still, the goal is to nail down individual nations' targets on emissions cuts and climate aid for poor countries so a legally binding text can be crafted next year.
Ban's warning in an interview with The Associated Press came as world leaders started arriving in Copenhagen, kicking the two-week conference into high gear in its quest to deliver a deal to curb emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
Key issues remain, and the conference has been marked by sharp disagreements between developing and developed nations.
Ban said he remained cautiously optimistic about a successful outcome, but warned that negotiators on both sides must work out their differences and not leave it to world leaders to resolve the major problems.
He said both rich and poor countries "must do more" to keep carbon emissions below dangerous levels and rich countries should step up commitments to provide a steady flow of money for poor countries to combat climate-linked economic disruptions such as rising seas, drought and floods.
"This is a historically important and politically and morally important imperative for world leaders to achieve a deal in Copenhagen," Ban said.
If negotiators cannot resolve those problems before about 110 world leaders start arriving, "the outcome will be either a weak one, or there will be no agreement."
"This will be a serious mistake on the part of the negotiators and the leaders if they go back empty-handed," he said.
The conference's working groups were finalizing two years of work yesterday and drawing up recommendations on such issues as deforestation and technology transfers.
The world leaders are aiming for a political agreement in Copenhagen rather than a legally binding treaty. Still, the goal is to nail down individual nations' targets on emissions cuts and climate aid for poor countries so a legally binding text can be crafted next year.
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