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Bangkok, 9 October 2009. Two weeks of UN climate talks ended today in Bangkok. Though some progress was achieved regarding technical issues, the environment and development organisation Germanwatch finds that the most pressuring questions remain unanswered: What climate protection obligations will industrialised countries and emerging economies have to face in the future? How much money will industrialised countries have to transfer to developing countries and emerging economies to fund mitigation actions, forest conservation and their adaptation to the consequences of climate change? What mechanisms will be used to provide the necessary financial support?
"Considering that the UN climate summit in Copenhagen is only two months away the results of the intermediate session in Bangkok are disappointing. If governments now omit to mobilise the political will that is needed to break the gridlock, Copenhagen will be doomed to failure," states Christoph Bals, Political Director of Germanwatch.
He moreover emphasises the responsibility of the EU: "A key characteristic of an ambitious Copenhagen agreement is the science-based determination of emission reduction targets. The announcement of Norway's and Japan's stringent reduction targets in Bangkok was therefore greatly appreciated. Nevertheless, it is now the EU's turn to send a clear starting signal for international progress."
Bals summarises: "For the first time, the developing countries and the emerging economies commit themselves to serious climate protection. Their mitigation measures as well as their efforts to adapt to the increasing number of droughts, floods and climate-related diseases require significant financial and technological assistance from industrialised countries. That is the agreed-on basis for a Copenhagen deal. However, to date the industrialised countries have shown little willingness to actually provide the needed support. Particularly for Germany, this task is more than a moral obligation - it actually means an investment in the future. In fact, an ambitious Copenhagen treaty could boost German exports by around 30 billion Euro per year."
>> Short briefing paper with further information
Contact: Christoph Bals, Germanwatch, 0049-174-3275669, bals@germanwatch.org