Jairam's proposal to open voluntary action to international scrutiny rejected

Times of India , Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Correspondent : Nitin Sethi, TNN
CANCUN: Environment minister Jairam Ramesh's big gambit at Cancun has flopped, with his plan to pitch India as the dealmaker between the rich and the poor countries falling through on Sunday. The three other BASIC countries rejected Ramesh's proposal to open their domestic voluntary actions to international scrutiny without waiting for any returns from the developed world.

TOI had earlier reported that Ramesh intended to pitch India as the bridgemaker with his proposal that all countries with more than 1% of the global annual emissions should come under similar international scrutiny.

Ramesh had made this proposal to the US and other developed countries in November despite consensus between the BASIC grouping -- China, India, Brazil and South Africa -- that it would not offer any further detail on international scrutiny, or international consultation and analysis (ICA) as its known in climate jargon, until the developed world came true on its existing commitments of finance and mitigation targets.

But Ramesh's intention of bringing the G77 countries and the BASIC nations on board this move has failed. On Sunday, Ramesh emerged from a breakfast meeting of the four BASIC countries to say that the 1% proposition was no more on the table and that the emerging economies had now decided that it would not allow detailing of ICA at Cancun.

Ramesh, while admitting that the 1% formula was rejected, said China had suggested that "those who have as part of Copenhagen Accord taken on voluntary mitigation actions can all be under ICA".

Singing a different tune, he said, "I think on the ICA, my sense today is it is not going to be the make or break issue at Cancun. It was one month ago but today Kyoto Protocol is the make or break issue -- it's not ICA."

He added, "The whole purpose of tabling this ICA proposal early was to convey to the community that we are prepared to engage with you on ICA, we made a specific proposal, let's discuss it. To that extent, we have been able to take pre-emptive action in case there is no satisfactory outcome of Cancun."

In effect, China and other BASIC countries refused to accept the formula that would have led to a breach of the firewall between developed and poor countries that currently exists between the two sets under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The 1% formula would have ensured that historical responsibility of having emitted since the start of the industrial era would not be considered while setting standards for international scrutiny and countries like US (the biggest historical emitter) and India (ranking far below) would all be treated at par.

Ramesh had first elaborated on the ICA in April 2009 at the Major Economies Forum on the request of US special envoy Todd Stern. Even then, the BASIC countries had not bought the line and opposed any move to give away their bargaining chip unless the rich countries came true on their commitments under the Copenhagen Accord of providing $30 billion annual fast-track funds for 2010-2012 to the poorest countries and $100 billion annually starting 2020 to all developing countries. They had insisted that the developed countries must also show their emission reduction numbers before the BASIC countries even agree to discuss the details of ICA -- which is considered an indirect way of turning voluntary actions into international commitments.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Jairams-proposal-to-open-voluntary-action-to-international-scrutiny-rejected-/articleshow/7055555.cms
 


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