DURBAN: Small island states, which have a powerful moral presence in the climate talks, displayed the political inclinations towards the EU when they tried to block India's demand that the UN review whether rich nations are meeting their commitments.
The review would require the UN to assess if the developed countries had lived up to their existing commitments under the climate convention. The proposal has no direct bearing on the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS), which is made of countries like Fiji and Bahamas in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. However, the small group opposed the proposal.
The AOSIS members have no emission reduction targets under the convention or Kyoto. Instead, they are some of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Yet, they argued against the review of the targets, showing they were working more to protect the interest of the EU, which is the largest block with targets under the Kyoto.
