Island nations diverge from G-77 stand
Island nations diverge from G-77 stand
New Delhi: The Alliance of Small Island States, or Aosis, is drafting its own text for a new climate deal at Copenhagen, according to delegates, indicating a divergence from the united stand that developing countries have been striving for.
Aosis will possibly release its own draft, which will be different from the draft text framed by Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC).
The BASIC draft, as it’s known, was shared with all the developing nations on Sunday at a G-77 (Group of 77) coordination meeting, though it has not been formally tabled at the Conference of Parties yet.
Though a part of the G-77, the biggest bloc of developing nations in the negotiations, the small island grouping differs with it on some issues.
All See | Mint’s complete coverage of the Copenhagen Summit 2009
Some of the differences include demands that even emerging economies, such as China and India, commit to domestic action, which should be open to international scrutiny and verification.
The G-77 has opposed such moves earlier.
Against the G-77 view that CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels be limited to 450 parts per million (ppm), Aosis wants this set at 350 ppm.
Island nations such as the Barbados, Mauritius, Maldives and Singapore are part of the group, which will be the first to get affected and possibly disappear even with minuscule changes in sea levels.
The BASIC draft, which India is supporting, is at present pitched against the Danish draft, which is being pushed by the European Union and the US.
“There are rumours that some of the vulnerable countries are veering towards the Danish draft, but there hasn’t been any confirmation," said a negotiator, who did not want to be identified.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said earlier that India’s non-negotiable conditions include no peaking year or legally binding cuts. He said in Parliament last week, however, that India could show some flexibility in opening up its domestic actions and plans to international scrutiny and verification.
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