Sonjica: Accord not acceptable
2009-12-22 12:06
Johannesburg - The agreement to which South Africa was a signatory at the climate change talks in Copenhagen last week is "not acceptable", Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Tuesday.
"For us it's not acceptable, it’s definitely not acceptable, it’s disappointing," the minister told reporters in Pretoria before rushing off to attend the funeral of the former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
Sonjica said South Africa had pushed for an agreement which would be legally binding.
"It was not the breakthrough that the world expected and the climate needed. It is weak in that it is partial, and political, rather than legally binding."
Last week 28 countries, including South African, America, Brazil, India and China, signed a political agreement after 12 days of talks at the United Nations conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark.
One-hundred-and-thirty heads of state and heads of government had attended the conference aimed at consolidating a global plan to deal with climate change.
Sonjica said the agreement did resolve some key issues amongst the signatories and should help the issue of climate change "move forward".
"Where, how and when that happens will occupy us for a while."
- SAPA