Caribbean News, Local News

AOSIS CALLS FOR CLEAR AMBITIOUS COMMITMENTS FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, November 26, 2009 – The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) on Thursday voiced concerns over attempts to water down the results of the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen next month.

Addressing a Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Grenada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Peter David, said despite many statements to the contrary “we want to emphasise that an internationally legally binding outcome at Copenhagen is both technically and legally feasible”.

He said that OASIS is also concerned over the lack of ambition from developed countries in mitigation and finance.

“The pledges to date of the developed countries represent cuts of 14% – 20% below 1990 levels when we include the latest announcement from the Russian Federation,” said the Grenadian Minister who spoke in his role as Chair of the 43-member grouping of AOSIS.

This, he said, is far from the more than 45% reductions from 1990 levels required to restrict long term temperature increases to well below 1.5 degrees Celcius above pre-industrial levels, as the science and the empirical evidence on the ground are saying is needed.

With only a few weeks from COP 15, AOSIS said that adequate financing proposals have not been forth-coming, making it difficult for countries to commit to taking action.

“These proposals are missing critical elements that are important to SIDS and other developing countries including but not limited to a special window for SIDS”.

David said that AOSIS welcomes in principle the initiative of “fast start” financing being part of the politically binding outcome. However, he said that tackling climate change requires long term financing that must be stable, predictable and grant-based.

AOSIS said it will be going to Copenhagen to engage as fully and sincerely as it has done so far.

“With clear ambitious commitments and actions from the developed countries, individually and collectively, we know that we can succeed”.
 

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