Tanim Ahmed

Cancún, Dec 4 2010 (bdnews24.com) — Efforts to reach a global climate deal hit a snag on Friday after Japan put up a strong resistance to extend the Kyoto Protocol signed more than 10 years ago.

The economic giant said in a plenary at the climate summit attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, "Japan will not inscribe its target under the [protocol] on any conditions or under any circumstances."

The strong statement from Japan immediately sparked divisions among groups of countries at the two-week climate summit now underway at the Mexican holiday resort on the Atlantic shores.

The United States and the European Union, two other big players, have also taken conflicting positions, with the former saying that it would still want to proceed with or without Kyoto, while the latter is looking forward to an extension of the protocol and a new deal.



The future of Kyoto Protocol is one of the six tracks being negotiated at this 16th Conference of Parties to the UN climate convention where almost 190 countries are trying to agree to a roadmap towards achieving an overarching climate deal.

The current summit, after a spectacular failure in Copenhagen last year, aims to make substantial progress in channeling funds to poor countries, verification mechanism of emissions and adaptation to climate change.

Greenhouse gases trap the sun's heat in the atmosphere leading to higher temperatures that in turn is said to be causing climate change through rising sea levels, more frequent floods, stronger cyclones and in general more erratic weather.

While global average temperature has increased by nearly 0.8 degrees Celsius, experts hold that climate change would become permanent if it increased more than 2 degrees.

The current efforts under the UN climate body strive to lay down the foundation to an agreement in South Africa next year that will, on one hand, reduce the harmful gas emissions and on the other, provide poor countries with funds and technology to deal with climate change.

While Japan pointed out that the treaty it played host to in 1997 was 'outdated' because it only addressed 27 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a large number of poorer countries have stated their equally firm position behind the treaty, saying that it must be extended beyond 2012 when its first phase expires.

Although they point out that the watershed agreement is the only instrument that binds polluters to reduce their emissions, Japan indicated that the protocol did not obligate the United States, which never ratified it, or other large economies like India and China, which have emerged as major polluters since then.

Countries like China, India, a group of Latin American countries (ALBA), as well as a number of other middle-income and poor countries, have indicated that extension of the Kyoto Protocol is imperative for a global deal.

Bangladesh, along with other least developed countries and small island states, have long held the position that the protocol must be extended beyond 2012 as well as a new binding agreement.

Japan, however, backed by countries like Russia and Canada, suggests that it will not endorse Kyoto unless the major polluters like US, China and India take on mandatory reduction targets.

Reluctance to accept such binding targets stems from the fact that large and growing economies would have to then curb fuel consumption to reduce emissions that would certainly affect their potential for growth and development.

The United States indicated its preference for a new binding agreement. Delegation head, Todd Stern has said although the US is not a party to the Kyoto Protocol, he understood the 'difficulty of both sides'.

He noted that there had been much progress made. "And we can carry that forward. I would hate to lose that over the strife over the Kyoto issue."

He hoped there would be a compromise that "both sides could live with".

The European Union, however, indicated its preference that it would like to see both extending the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 and striking a new deal under the UN climate convention.

Noting that the two sides are diametrically opposed, EU spokesman Peter Wittoeck said, "Even if you take the 180 degree which is the half there is a middle ground."

Wittoeck said he hoped that both sides will reach a compromise and agree to a Kyoto extension and a new deal, which "is the EU position".

bdnews24.com/ta/am/2045h WARNING: Any unauthorised use or reproduction of bdnews24.com content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.