COPENHAGEN, Denmark --
During an acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway, for his Nobel Peace Prize, U.S. President Barack Obama said climate change was a matter of national security. Following are the latest developments from the fourth day of the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen:
Barack Obama
The Group of 77, representing the majority of developing nations worldwide, urged U.S. President Barack Obama to join the Kyoto Protocol and commit to emission reductions compared to other developing nations.
“USA is the world's largest emitter historically and per capita. A reduction of four percent [compared to 1990] will not help save the world. We ask USA to join the Kyoto Protocol and take on commitments comparable to Annex 1 countries [industrialized countries],” said Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, chair of the G77 nations, during a press conference on Thursday.
During his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway, President Obama said “There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, more famine, more mass displacement -- all of which will fuel more conflict for decades.”
“It is not merely scientists and environmental activists who call for swift and forceful action – it's military leaders in my own country and others who understand that our common security hangs in the balance,” the president added.
Sweden steps up, U.S. steps down
Sweden, who currently holds the rotating EU presidency, announced Thursday that it would donate $800 million Euros to the “fast-start” financing fund, government spokeswoman Roberta Alenius said.
The “fast-start” fund was created to assist developing nations fight climate change.
Alenius said that not all countries would be able to donate as some were experiencing serious financial troubles.
In a Times of India online report, Todd Stern, President Obama’s climate change envoy, said that the U.S. was not ready to fund developing nations in the fight against climate change.
“There is only limited money. That is reality. It's just life in the real world,” said Stern according to the Times of India.
Copenhagen online
The website Freehugger.com announced Thursday that “Copenhagen” has become Google’s number one search query, surpassing “Tiger Woods” for the number one spot.
Other terms like “climate change” and “global warming” also rank high.
China
Climate change experts told Reuters that if China’s economy grows by eight percent and the country keeps its promise to cut carbon emissions per unit of its GDP by 40% to 45%, Chinese emissions may still double by the year 2020.
“With an eight percent growth, emissions will increase by 74 percent,” said Emmanuel Guerin, a climate analyst at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations in France.
“China, having emitted 7.2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2005, will spew out 12.6 gigatonnes in 2020... That is one gigatonne too many, according to the scenario laid out by [leading climate change expert] Nicholas Stern, who put the range at 7.9-11.6 gigatonnes,” Guerin added.
Dimitry Medvedev
Russian President Dimitry Medvedev will attend the Copenhagen climate change summit, the Kremlin announced Thursday.
The AP reported that Medvedev, joined by 110 other heads of state, will join the conference between December 17 and 18.
“The president of the Russian Federation will participate in a meeting of heads of state and government within the framework of the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Copenhagen,” a statement from the Kremlin to the Strait Times said.
“This means leaders from the world’s 15 biggest emitters will be attending the conference,” a Danish official told the summits website.
Another climate draft emerges
During a closed-door meeting in Beijing last month between China, India, South Africa and Brazil, the four countries drafted an 11 page draft entitled “Copenhagen Accord”, the AFP reports.
The draft called for a “binding” amendment to the Kyoto Protocol and calls for developed countries to reduce their carbon emissions by more than 40% compared to 1990 levels.
The Beijing-led initiative was meant to be a rebuttal to the “Copenhagen Agreement” -- which was allegedly written by the host country, Denmark, and leaked to the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday.
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