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Milan
(Italy) 9th December, 2003 -- Ministers from all over the world arrive in Milan
this week for the 9th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change [1].
Although press speculation has centered on when and whether Russia will ratify
the Convention's Kyoto Protocol, the overwhelming majority of the world's
governments are moving ahead and discussing the complex rules that will govern
its operation.
One hundred and twenty countries, responsible for 44.2% of the world's
'greenhouse gas' emissions, have already ratified the Kyoto agreement. It is
the only serious, international framework for tackling the causes of climate
change.
As ministers arrive today, Friends of the Earth International and the Global
Forests Coalition presented the 'Treetanic Awards'**, an annual recognition
of the audacious attempts by timber plantation owners to benefit from the Kyoto
Protocol. This year the award was presented to PLANTAR, a Brazilian eucalypt
plantation company specializing in producing charcoal for the steel industry and
barbeques.
Meanwhile, the United States Government, which has rejected Kyoto, continues to
snipe in the background. The US is running a series of side events to convince
the world that it is serious about climate change, focusing on changes to the
way it manages its scientific and technological research programmes. At the same
time, it continues to obstruct where it can - such as on talks over the
Convention's budget.
Outside the formal process, think-tanks, consultancies and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) are throwing around ideas and laying out proposals for how
the next phase of (greenhouse gas) emissions reductions - the so-called 'second
commitment period'-should operate. Governments are expected to start talks on
future commitment periods soon after Russia ratifies.
The Formal Agenda:
The overwhelming bulk of the rules that will govern how Kyoto operates have
already been agreed - at previous meetings in Bonn (2001), Marrakech (2001) and
New Delhi (2002). Two big issues, still to be negotiated, are dominating the
agenda at Milan.
Firstly, countries are debating the rules that will govern which forestry
projects will be eligible for emission reduction credits as part of the
Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism, or CDM. (The CDM allows industrialized
countries to pay for projects in developing countries that cut emissions and/or
absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via tree planting. They count
emissions saved from these projects toward their own reduction targets).
Again, here, much has already been agreed. Countries can get credit for new
schemes and for re-planting areas that were previously forested. Debate at Milan
has focused on the detail. NGOs, and many counties, want rules to prevent the
planting of genetically modified trees or invasive alien species. They want to
ensure the increases in carbon sequestered are genuine and that communities
affected by schemes are properly consulted.
Secondly, countries are talking about money: the detailed objectives of and
conditions for use of the Protocol's Special Climate Change Fund and the cost
and distribution of contributions to the Convention Secretariat's budget. The
Special Climate Change Fund provides money, amongst other things, to help
developing countries adapt to climate change. Industrialized countries are
trying to limit their
contributions to it. The Convention's Budget is now largely agreed.
The US played foul by refusing to pay for work on the Kyoto Protocol - despite
continuing to intervene occasionally in discussions over it. Now money for the
Convention and money for the Kyoto Protocol have been split. In addition, it was
decided that funding for the preparation of the Protocol will only come from
voluntary contributions. This creates a budgetary insecurity that might
jeopardize a quick start of the Protocol.
Ministers are expected to haggle and then compromise over the thorny points of
these discussions. They will also hold three 'roundtable discussions' to air
thoughts on three broad themes that will be important for the second commitment
period:
* Climate change, adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development;
* Technology, including technology use and development, and transfer of
technologies: and
* Assessment of progress at the national, regional and international levels to
fulfill the promise and objective enshrined in the climate change agreements,
including the scientific, information, policy and financial aspects.
**
Friends of the Earth International representatives are lobbying on issues
being discussed at COP9, through the Climate Action Network, a worldwide
network of over 340 Non-Governmental Organizations working to promote
government, private sector and individual action to limit human-induced
climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.
Events organized at COP9 by members or affiliates of Friends of the Earth
International have included or will include:
* "The Treetanic Awards", an annual award given by
Friends of the Earth international and the Global Forests Coalition to
the most audacious attempts by owners of big tree plantations to
benefit from the Protocol. This year's award was given on Tuesday, 9th December
to PLANTAR, a Brazilian eucalypt plantation company. The company specializes
in producing charcoal for the steel industry and barbeques.
From its outset, PLANTARS activities have resulted in serious and widespread
environmental and social impacts, such as land appropriation and population
eviction, pollution of water, depletion of soils, deforestation, employment
loss, poor working conditions and child labor. In reward for this, the World
Bank has approved PLANTAR has its first carbon sink project with the
Prototype Carbon Fund.
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