Times of India , Saturday, December 08, 2007

Correspondent : Staff Reporter

UNITED NATIONS: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the US President George Bush are among the world leaders with whom United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been discussing the issue of climate change and urgency to negotiate for a new treaty to replace the Kyoto protocol. Other leaders whom Ban has called include President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil. Talking to reporters on Thursday, Ban did not give details but said it is essential that the world leaders negotiate a new deal to tackle global warming with the ultimate goal of reaching a comprehensive agreement that is embraced by all nations. "It is crucial to negotiate a new agreement by 2009 to address the problem so that it can enter into force in 2013 when the Kyoto Protocol expires," he said, adding "Difficult as this path may be, we have no choice." Ban, who is leaving for Bali, Indonesia, to participate in the ongoing conference being held to negotiate a new agreement to rein green house emissions, expressed confidence that it would yield a "roadmap to a better future." Transforming the global economy into an eco-friendly one provides an opportunity to jump-start growth and development, not hinder it, the Secretary-General, who has identified climate change as one of his top priorities, observed. The latest report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, estimated that curbing serious global warming would cost as little as 0.1 per cent of GDP over the next 30 years. It also reported that existing technologies have at least a 10 per cent rate of return on investment, ranging from energy-efficient light bulbs to alternative fuel sources, and can slash the growth in energy use in the coming decades by half. "We want to unleash the power of markets, capital, innovation and entrepreneurship in our fight against global warming," Ban said.

SOURCE : Times of India, Saturday, 08 December 2007