COPENHAGEN: The time to act is now, whether or not there is a consensual international agreement on climate change at the UN Copenhagen talks in December, say the 100-odd legislators from major economies representing major political parties -- including the US, UK, France, China, Brazil, Mexico and India.
The lawmakers have converged at the Danish capital at a GLOBE International and COM+ meeting held over two days from October 24-25 at the Folketing, the Danish Parliament in preparation to the UNFCCC meeting in December that is expected to find an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol that is to conclude in 2012.
The legislators have signed up to key guiding principles set out by Chinese Congressman Chairman Wang Guangtao, chairman of the steering committee on environment and resources protection, National People's Conference, China and US Congressman Edward Markey to enable the enacting of climate change legislation in their respective countries.
The Wang-Markey principles outline energy standards, forestry preservation, and renewable energy that could see 70 per cent of the emissions cuts needed by 2020 if the global average temperature rise is to be limited to 2 degrees Celsius. They include standardized action on building and appliance standards; renewable energy; vehicle fuel and efficiency standards; and forestry. Such coordinated action – especially in areas like domestic, transportation and industrial energy efficiency – will result in cost savings and increased competitiveness, they say.
Coordinated action on appliance and fuel standards will create huge economies of scale, sending a strong “market signal”. Together, it is hoped that these actions will drive the move to a global low carbon economy.
The overriding theme has been to stress the need to accelerate domestic legislation that bind national governments to short, medium and long-term targets for emissions; a commitment to “climate compatibility assessments” for major government policies; a duty on governments to report to parliament regularly on their progress in meeting targets; and a commitment to a regular review to ensure that policies are consistent with the latest science.
US Congressman Markey (co-sponsor of the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill that has passed in the House of Representatives and is now awaiting approval of the Senate), Chairman Wang Guangtao of the Chinese National People’s Congress; and Michael Jay, of the UK Parliament are coordinating the adoption of these principles through the legislatures of the world’s major economies.
The Forum was addressed by the Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Rassmussen, Chair of the COP, Minister Connie Hedegaard of Denmark and by the Speaker of the South African National Assembly, Max Sisulu, and the Vice President of the Brazilian Senate, Senadora Serys Slessarenko and by video by the Speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi. An Indian delegation comprising legislators from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as well as Air Marshall A K Singh, an expert on the military (security) perspective on climate change contributed to the debates and discussions.
The legislators also agreed on a joint statement for the COP 15 in December that would state that the COP15 should agree to emissions targets for developed countries for 2030 and 2040 in addition to 2020 and 2050 to ensure that successive governments remain focused on delivering an interim emissions reduction target. It was agreed that deforesting countries must be given incentives to make immediate and dramatic reductions in their deforestation rates by paying them credits dependent on their performance against an agreed “reference emissions” rate agreed on a country-by-country basis.
The forum stressed the need to “protect and share” frameworks for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in which financing would be provided to developing countries to strengthen their domestic IPR protection regimes in return for government-to-government guarantees that investors’ rights would be protected. There was agreement of the need for an international monitoring and verification system that would apply to all countries.
The GLOBE forum agreed that at least $100 billion per year in financial assistance would be needed in financial assistance from public and private sources including developed countries to meet the cost of adaptation to a changed climate in developing countries.
