More than 160 countries gathered in Ghana last week to continue talks on a climate agreement that will succeed Kyoto.
Delegates at the U.N. conference grappled with key roadblocks, such as drawing developing countries into the fold, deforestation concerns and additional greenhouse gases that could be brought under a cap. A final draft of the new treaty will be adopted next year in Copenhagen.
A key sticking point has been the role of developing nations in the pursuit to reduce emissions. India and China have rebuffed national targets, and the United States abandoned the Kyoto Treaty because the two countries weren't included.
Another approach that more countries may find palatable is a sectoral approach that focuses on the most energy intensive industries, such as steel and aluminum production. Under this approach floating around, industrialized nations would remain legally bound to meet a national cap, while developing countries won't be punished, Reuters reported.
In the case of deforestation, estimated to produce as much as 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, delegates weighed how to reward developing countries for leaving their forests intact, such as increased aid or new forms of carbon trading. Some worried that the efforts to protect the forests would increase their value, leading to a "land grab" by foreign investors at the expense of indigenous people.
The delegates also discussed with Reuters the possibility of adding other greenhouse gases into the cap in addition to the six gases currently covered. Some areas of concern: nitrogen trifluoride used to make flat screen televisions and fluorinated ethers used in some refrigerants.
The U.S. pulled out of Kyoto because of the exclusion of developing countries, but now several environmental groups are warning that the U.S. may not endorse the Copenhagen agreement because of a key ally: the United Kingdom.
The Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists and Natural Resources Defense Council sent a letter to the U.K. that its plans to build a slew of coal-fired power plants threatens its leadership position and the chances of the U.S. joining Kyoto's successor, the Guardian reported. |
