'North must lead climate change'

2007-09-27 20:43

Cape Town - Developing countries are willing to do more when it comes to tackling climate change, but the "trigger" had to come from the North, Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Thursday.

In a speech on the first day of the Major Economies Meeting on Climate Change and Energy Security in Washington, he said participants in such efforts had to include the United States.

Van Schalkwyk was referring to the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty requiring signatories to limit their greenhouse emissions. The US has signed the document, but not ratified it.

The climate change meeting was called by US President George Bush, and is chaired by that country's Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. South Africa is the only African country invited.

The two-day meeting in the US capital is aimed at working towards establishing, by the end of next year, long-term goals to cut emissions.

Van Schalkwyk said he welcomed the US initiative "as a first step towards assuming their global leadership role and full responsibility" in finding a multilateral solution to climate change for future generations.

'We take our responsibilities seriously'

"In working towards a fair, effective, flexible and inclusive climate regime beyond 2012, the message from a developing country perspective is clear: We take our responsibilities seriously.

"We are already making a meaningful contribution within our respective capabilities. We are willing to do more. But the trigger must come from the North.

"We should... remind ourselves that the majority of countries that will be hardest hit by climate change are not at this table today. We cannot design a climate change regime that works only for the 15 or 20 major economies. Ultimately, multilateralism must prevail."

Among those attending the Washington meeting are delegates from the European Union, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Australia, Indonesia and the United Nations.

Van Schalkwyk said an urgent priority was to secure the global carbon market "by sending a clear market signal about the climate regime after 2012".

The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

Van Schalkwyk said ambitious targets for all developed countries were critical to create the demand required to fuel the carbon market, and to create meaningful financial flows to stimulate investment in low carbon economic growth in developing countries.

- SAPA