China, India, Brazil Commit to Meet Copenhagen Accord Deadline

China, Brazil, South Africa and India will disclose the voluntary steps the countries will take to help reduce global warming by the Jan. 31 deadline set during negotiations in Copenhagen, India’s environment minister said after talks between the four nations in New Delhi yesterday.

The four will communicate their plans to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by the deadline this weekend, Jairam Ramesh, India’s environment minister, said. He added the countries will work to build support for the global climate accord agreed in December.

Negotiators met in the Danish capital for two weeks of talks through Dec. 19 on curbing global warming. Debate stumbled on aid to developing countries, pollution-reduction goals and how to verify country pledges to cut emissions. Bolivia, Sudan and Venezuela were among countries that opposed the accord, which will serve as a framework for talks this year.

“The value of the Copenhagen Accord lies not as a stand- alone document but as an input into the two-track negotiating process under the UNFCCC, which will culminate in Mexico City in December 2010,” Ramesh said. He spoke at a briefing with Xie Zhenhua, China’s top climate negotiator, Brazil’s Environment Minister Carlos Minc and South Africa’s Buyelwa Sonjica.

Rich nations should ensure the early distribution of $10 billion pledged at Copenhagen for this year to address climate change in the least developed nations and island states, according to a joint statement issued after yesterday’s meeting between the so-called BASIC states.

‘Proof’ of Commitment

“The proof of their commitment, their credentials will be demonstrated if the $10 billion flows as promised,” Ramesh said. “If it doesn’t, we would believe that developed countries aren’t serious about climate change.”

The officials failed to agree on a Brazilian proposal to create a fund to help poorer nations cope with the effects of climate change. Talks on the fund will continue at the next quarterly meeting of the ministers, Ramesh said.

“If you were to account for the support that is given today by BASIC countries to Africa, Asia and Latin America, it would add up to more than $10 billion,” Brazil’s Minc said at the briefing.

The accord set the deadline for richer nations to specify 2020 emission targets and poorer countries to state actions being taken to curb greenhouse gases over the same period.

Global Warming

The agreement also pledges $100 billion a year by the end of the decade for developing countries to adapt to climate change and requires nations to keep the global rise in temperatures since industrialization to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The agreement was reached after Obama had last-minute talks with China’s Wen, Premier Minister Manmohan Singh, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and South African President Jacob Zuma. Obama said the accord would fall short of the expectations of many and that it will be difficult to turn it into a legally binding treaty in the next year.

The U.S. will probably cut its emissions by 14 percent to 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, subject to approval in the Senate, according to a note circulated by European Union officials in Copenhagen along with the accord. The EU said it will stick to its target of cutting emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels.

China, Brazil, South Africa and India will disclose the voluntary steps the countries will take to help reduce global warming by the Jan. 31 deadline set during negotiations in Copenhagen, India’s environment minister said after talks between the four nations in New Delhi yesterday.

The four will communicate their plans to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by the deadline this weekend, Jairam Ramesh, India’s environment minister, said. He added the countries will work to build support for the global climate accord agreed in December.

Negotiators met in the Danish capital for two weeks of talks through Dec. 19 on curbing global warming. Debate stumbled on aid to developing countries, pollution-reduction goals and how to verify country pledges to cut emissions. Bolivia, Sudan and Venezuela were among countries that opposed the accord, which will serve as a framework for talks this year.

“The value of the Copenhagen Accord lies not as a stand- alone document but as an input into the two-track negotiating process under the UNFCCC, which will culminate in Mexico City in December 2010,” Ramesh said. He spoke at a briefing with Xie Zhenhua, China’s top climate negotiator, Brazil’s Environment Minister Carlos Minc and South Africa’s Buyelwa Sonjica.

Rich nations should ensure the early distribution of $10 billion pledged at Copenhagen for this year to address climate change in the least developed nations and island states, according to a joint statement issued after yesterday’s meeting between the so-called BASIC states.

‘Proof’ of Commitment

“The proof of their commitment, their credentials will be demonstrated if the $10 billion flows as promised,” Ramesh said. “If it doesn’t, we would believe that developed countries aren’t serious about climate change.”

The officials failed to agree on a Brazilian proposal to create a fund to help poorer nations cope with the effects of climate change. Talks on the fund will continue at the next quarterly meeting of the ministers, Ramesh said.

“If you were to account for the support that is given today by BASIC countries to Africa, Asia and Latin America, it would add up to more than $10 billion,” Brazil’s Minc said at the briefing.

The accord set the deadline for richer nations to specify 2020 emission targets and poorer countries to state actions being taken to curb greenhouse gases over the same period.

Global Warming

The agreement also pledges $100 billion a year by the end of the decade for developing countries to adapt to climate change and requires nations to keep the global rise in temperatures since industrialization to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The agreement was reached after Obama had last-minute talks with China’s Wen, Premier Minister Manmohan Singh, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and South African President Jacob Zuma. Obama said the accord would fall short of the expectations of many and that it will be difficult to turn it into a legally binding treaty in the next year.

The U.S. will probably cut its emissions by 14 percent to 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, subject to approval in the Senate, according to a note circulated by European Union officials in Copenhagen along with the accord. The EU said it will stick to its target of cutting emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels.