SA claims climate breakthrough
2007-12-11 11:12
Cape Town - Marthinus van Schalkwyk and his team
from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism have claimed a
breakthrough in the climate change negotiations in Bali in Indonesia.
"After ten days of intense negotiations we achieved an early breakthrough," the department said in a triumphant statement from Indonesia.
By late on Monday night, the department's Riaan Aucamp explained,
negotiators clinched a deal to launch officially a multilateral adaptation
fund, the purpose of which is to assist vulnerable developing countries to
adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change.
It will be worth up to $500m per year by 2012, and is expected to grow exponentially beyond 2012.
"The decision constitutes a major victory for the developing world in
setting in place a new governance system for funding of adaptation activities that are aimed at expedited and direct access to the fund, whose operations will be guided by an independent adaptation fund board," Aucamp said.
"Another major breakthrough for the developing group was the fact that the
majority of members would come from developing countries, and that if any
voting on decisions would be needed, this will take place on the basis of one country one vote."
South Africa led the negotiations on these issues for the largest
negotiating bloc, the G77 and China, which represents 130 developing countries.
The possibility of direct access to the adaptation fund by eligible parties was of major concern for the Group of 77. The G77 did not want to continue a process where they would be forced to use implementing agencies.
After agreeing to include criteria relating to financial responsibility and the ability to deliver the projects, it was agreed that eligible countries would have direct access to the fund.
The appointment of a secretariat and trustee was one of the most
contentious aspects of the decision, given the negative experiences that most developing countries have with their interaction with the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the World Bank in respect of the funding of climate-related projects.
In the end it was decided that the GEF and the World Bank will be appointed on an interim basis and that this arrangement will be subjected to a rigorous review.
Nominations for the board will now be requested and it will urgently start
its work in 2008.