SA, Sweden form climate team
2010-03-17 22:23
Cape Town - South Africa and Sweden have set up a task team to work towards clinching a binding treaty on reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the next round of UN talks, the deputy leaders of the two countries said on Wednesday.
"We agreed that we will co-operate in this area so that we can together try to influence the powers that be in this world to move away from energy resources that contribute in a great way to these climate change challenges," Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe told reporters at Tuynhuys.
"We know what is needed is a legally binding treaty on these issues."
Motlanthe and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Maud Olofsson said the task team would not only co-operate on policy level but initiate joint clean energy projects that should also stimulate trade and industry.
Economic ties
"It is not just a political project, it also has to involve the business sector," said Olofsson, adding that Sweden was keen to strengthen economic ties with South Africa in "both directions" to even a trade balance weighted in Sweden's favour.
South Africa will host the 17th UN Convention on Climate Change in 2011 as the search continues for a binding global accord in the aftermath of the Copenhagen climate change summit widely condemned as a failure.
"Many of us were disappointed by Copenhagen," said Olofsson.
"We are going to support South Africa very much in this work to find a legally binding agreement."
She added that Sweden supported Eskom's application for a World Bank loan to make up a cash shortfall for building new coal-fired plants.
Fossil fuels
But the country which last week unveiled a plan to get 50% of its energy from renewable resources by 2020, would also like to help South Africa lessen its dependence on fossil fuels, Oloffson said.
"I do hope that the energy system here and in many other countries will become dependent on energy sources that don't have so many CO2's."
The statement came after two days of bi-lateral talks that also focused on Zimbabwe, with Motlanthe acknowledging the ongoing disagreement between Pretoria and the EU over sanctions designed to force President Robert Mugabe to implement political reforms.
Olofsson welcomed President Jacob Zuma's visit to Zimbabwe, where he began talks with political leaders on Wednesday.
"I trust you very much when it comes to having a good situation in Zimbabwe and I welcome the visit of President Zuma to Zimbabwe and hope he will come away with some good reaction."
- SAPA