By Chris Bathembu
Durban - South Africa has urged Canada to reconsider its position of not entering into a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
"South Africa believes the climate change talks must be inclusive to assist the process of ensuring a balanced outcome to emerge from the current talks," said Environmental Affairs Minister and leader of the SA delegation to the COP 17 talks, Edna Molewa.
Reports say Canada, which has failed to meet its emissions reduction targets under Kyoto Protocol, will announce next month that it will formally withdraw from the treaty. This comes as delegates from 190 countries are currently meeting in Durban seeking a new international agreement for cutting emissions.
UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres confirmed this week that Canada had made similar threats last year to pull out from the Protocol.
Molewa said the effects of climate change were real and "already here with us". South Africa called on Canada and other developed countries to ensure that they heed the call made by the developing countries, particularly in Africa and the Small Island Developing States, who feel the brunt of climate change effects.
"The Kyoto Protocol is an important first step towards a truly multilateral rules based legally binding global emission reduction regime that will stabilise GHG emissions, and provides the essential base for international agreement on climate change involving the participation of all countries in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities," she said.
The first commitment period of the 1997 treaty is coming to an end next year and developing countries are pushing for a second commitment period, but major economies, which include the United States and Japan, are refusing to commit.
Analysts say the reluctance by Canada to sign up for a second commitment may further strengthen the position by some developed countries that the Kyoto Protocol was somehow "flawed".
The European Union has said it would agree to the new commitment to the Protocol but had placed conditions on this, including their demand for a change in the framework of the convention. - BuaNews
Durban - South Africa has urged Canada to reconsider its position of not entering into a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
"South Africa believes the climate change talks must be inclusive to assist the process of ensuring a balanced outcome to emerge from the current talks," said Environmental Affairs Minister and leader of the SA delegation to the COP 17 talks, Edna Molewa.
Reports say Canada, which has failed to meet its emissions reduction targets under Kyoto Protocol, will announce next month that it will formally withdraw from the treaty. This comes as delegates from 190 countries are currently meeting in Durban seeking a new international agreement for cutting emissions.
UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres confirmed this week that Canada had made similar threats last year to pull out from the Protocol.
Molewa said the effects of climate change were real and "already here with us". South Africa called on Canada and other developed countries to ensure that they heed the call made by the developing countries, particularly in Africa and the Small Island Developing States, who feel the brunt of climate change effects.
"The Kyoto Protocol is an important first step towards a truly multilateral rules based legally binding global emission reduction regime that will stabilise GHG emissions, and provides the essential base for international agreement on climate change involving the participation of all countries in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities," she said.
The first commitment period of the 1997 treaty is coming to an end next year and developing countries are pushing for a second commitment period, but major economies, which include the United States and Japan, are refusing to commit.
Analysts say the reluctance by Canada to sign up for a second commitment may further strengthen the position by some developed countries that the Kyoto Protocol was somehow "flawed".
The European Union has said it would agree to the new commitment to the Protocol but had placed conditions on this, including their demand for a change in the framework of the convention. - BuaNews
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