23 november 2000
pronk's proposal threatens point of kyoto
protocol
The COP6 negotiating process has entered a
new phase with Minister Pronk's proposed
'package' brokering deals between all the
major players at the summit.
The deal still gives the US a giant "free
gift" of carbon towards its Kyoto target, of
"3% of each Party's base year emissions",
which in the case of the US amounts to
possibly 50 million carbon tonnes. This is
less than half the latest American demand,
but still represents a major weakening of the
Kyoto Treaty.
There is no real cap on the use of
flexible mechanisms or sinks to meet Kyoto
targets, with only vague use of the word
"primarily" in respect of domestic action.
Combined with the 3% loophole, the US will
still be able to plant and buy its way out of
any real action to cut emissions from fossil
fuels at home. The draft deal allows
unlimited hot air trading meaning that unused
credits from the collapsed Russian, Ukrainian
and other economies can still be bought.
The exclusion of nuclear power from the
Clean Development Mechanism is a significant
step forwards which will help keep new
reactors out of developing countries. But
nuclear power projects remain eligible under
Joint Implementation with central and eastern
European countries. This is utterly
inconsistent.
The rules for compliance are essentially
the American proposal which simply carry over
excess greenhouse gas emissions over Kyoto
targets to the next commitment period, plus a
low rate of "interest".
Commenting, FOEI Climate Campaigner Roda
Verheyen said:
"The Kyoto Treaty was the bare minimum
required to tackle man-made climate change.
The latest attempt to get a deal in the Hague
represents a further watering down of this
Treaty. It is true that the US and its
supporters have not got everything they were
demanding. But they have still been given a
huge free gift in the form of carbon credits
towards their Kyoto targets and the right to
trade vast amounts of hot air. This means
they can avoid action at home to cut
emissions from fossil fuels. Man-made climate
change will not even be stopped by this deal,
let alone reversed."
Press Officer: Ian Willmore 0044
7887 641344
Climate Expert: Roda Verheyen 0044 7712
843216
Climate Expert: Frances MacGuire 0044 7712
843460
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