Durban (South Africa), 5 Dec (EFE).-the European Union (EU) appreciates China’s proposal to acquire in the future legal obligations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions said today the European Commissioner for the climate, Connie Hedegaard.
“Seem to be ready for a binding agreement.” “Always have been open to a legal commitment,” said Hedegaard in a press conference at the 17TH Summit of the UN on climate change (COP17), held in Durban (South Africa) from November 28 to December 9.
“The main issue is whether China is willing to assume the obligations equally to others.” “We need further clarification on that,” said the Commissioner.
“We will have a bilateral meeting with China this evening – he added – and we will have more details of the proposed”.
Hedegaard, appeared alongside the Polish Minister of environment, Marcin Korolec, whose country holds the rotating EU Presidency, said that Europe is ready to sign the second period of the Kyoto Protocol, “while only us and some countries sign”.
The Kyoto Protocol, whose first term expires in 2012, is the only treaty which legally obliges the emissions reduction involving all countries developed except us.
Canada, Japan and Russia have announced that they did not renew the Protocol by a second period.
Korolec, for its part, reiterated the EU proposal of a roadmap to achieve by 2015 an agreement of emission reduction that would come into force by 2020 and engage all major economies, with an extension of the Kyoto Protocol as a transition.
“Our position is to sign, provided that we have a roadmap, and is not to protect us, but to make them move and the steps that the world needs,” he argued Hedegaard.
“We can not leave Durban – remarked the Commissioner – with an agreement which commits some (of Kyoto signatory developed States) and continues leaving others (USA and developing countries) only subject to voluntary pledges”.
The Commissioner acknowledged differences with the United States, not committed to the Kyoto Protocol, and who have expressed objections to the roadmap for the EU.
“If it were easier to (negotiate) with the Americans, we would not be where we are, we know that it is difficult and is complicated the political situation in United States,” said the European head of action for the climate.
With respect to the position of the Group (Brazil, India, China and South Africa), BASIC call for more time before addressing a new agreement overall reduction of emissions and opt for talks to start in 2015, the European Commissioner said that “we have had much time to think”.
“Believe – said Hedegaard – that we must be a little faster.” Many citizens are impatient and suffering from climate change. How can we say that we are going to think about for three years until we have a review? “.
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The European Commissioner coincided in the need to renew the Kyoto Protocol, in parallel with the negotiations of the new legal framework international
“We must avoid – he concluded – that there is a gap between the first period (from Kyoto) and further emission reduction commitments”. EFE
