BackIndia, China, Brazil hold up talks on climate change
India, China, Brazil hold up talks on climate change
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By AFP
Bangkok: A demand by India, China and Brazil that rich nations accept that they are mainly responsible for global warming has held up progress at a key UN climate change conference here, delegates said on 2 May.
The three nations’ insistence since the talks started on 30 April that the developed world recognise their dominant role in climate change has taken up precious time meant for debate on how best to tackle global warming, they said.
“Progress is slow," one delegate from a European nation, who asked not to be identified, said. “Brazil, India and China are trying to put on the shoulders of industrialised nations the historic responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions, in order to clear their own emissions (of blame) and to protect themselves in any discussion."
At least 400 scientists and experts from about 120 countries are attending the week-long third session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN’s leading authority on global warming.
Their report, expected to be released at the end of their meeting on 27 April, aims to lay out ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent a climate catastrophe without seriously hurting the global economy.
But China has also insisted on specific figures, which lay the blame for global warming on rich nations, be inserted into the conclusions, according to documents obtained by AFP.
Developed countries should formally recognise that they are responsible for 95% of greenhouse gas emissions from the pre-industrial era to 1950, and for 77% from 1950 to 2000, according to China’s submission to the IPCC.
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