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The European Union (EU) has said it is unlikely to enhance before 2020 its commitment to reducing emissions linked to climate change. The statement at the ongoing climate change negotiations in Bonn, Germany, has led to a war of words between the EU and the developing countries under the G77+ China grouping. India and China are taking the lead.
These mid-year talks are meant to tighten the negotiating text that will be the basis for the global Paris agreement on climate change, to be inked in December this year. The talks, however, were a little strained on Thursday as the EU suggested that countries move focus away from what was termed the ‘pre-2020’ action, and look only at the post-2020 scenario to be covered by the Paris agreement.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has often said that the developed countries’ enhanced commitment to reducing their emissions, as required by science, in the pre-2020 stage, is important to reaching a successful conclusion at Paris in December.
In the pre-2020 stage, only developed countries are required to take action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. After the year 2020, all countries, especially emerging economies like China and India, will be expected to do so. If the gap between the required reductions and developed countries’ commitments are not met in the pre-2020 phase, an additional burden will get shifted to the emerging economies.
The EU has, however, said the grounds and conditions for it to increase its existing pledge, to reducing emissions by 20 per cent below the 1990 level by 2020, do not exist. The EU, which is yet to formally ratify the pledge under the Kyoto Protocol, has claimed the process is complex.
Official Observers taking notes at the meetings behind closed doors in Bonn recorded: “EU representatives said anything additional (to existing commitments) would come only after 2020.”
The EU has said it is “concerned” with repeated questions on the revisit mechanism. “If there are issues that are beyond what is possible to reach consensus on, for instance the revisit mechanism, that will not happen,” the EU representative said.
‘Revisit mechanism’ is a term used for review of existing commitments of rich countries and to see how these could be ramped up for meeting the expectations set by science. The reference to negotiations dropping issues on which the EU is not on board has not gone down well with countries like India and China.
The Indian negotiator is learnt to have warned: "Everyone wants to know what will happen in the pre-2020 period before committing to the post-2020 scenario. We need a clear decision text on workstream-2 (the leg of negotiations where decisions regarding the pre-2020 period are to be firmed up)."
India is represented at the Bonn round of climate talks by Ravi Prasad, joint secretary in the environment ministry, and Adarsh Swaika, director in the external affairs ministry, besides others.
The Indian delegation has said while there is time to decide the modalities for the post-2020 period, there is "no time for pre-2020". It has emphasised that "pre-2020 action will build trust", and a revisit mechanism is a must.
India has demanded that there be an evaluation mechanism of quantified emission reduction targets (of developed countries for the pre-2020 period). The country has said that along with a gap in mitigation, gaps in rich countries' commitments on adaptation, finance, technology and capacity building also exist.
EMISSION MECHANICS
- EU: Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 1990 levels. Says no additional target likely for pre-2020 period
- US: Reducing emissions by 17% below 2005 levels, equal to about 1% below 1990 levels. Also against revision
- UN science panel: Says 25-40% reduction below 1990 levels required by 2020.
- Pre-2020 commitments are only for rich countries
- All countries have to contribute after 2020 under a Paris pact to be signed in Dec 2015
- The less rich countries do now, the more emerging economies have to do in the post-2020 period under Paris pact, to keep global warming below two degrees celsius.
- Rich nations pushing for technical discussions but no hard conclusions by Paris meet in Dec
- India, China and others want review of their targets and revised targets as part of the Paris package
