EU fights for ambitious outcome of Durban climate summit - Main contents

Early in the week of political negotiations at the climate summit, Environment Minister Marcin Korolec recapped the work done so far by experts and stated: ‘The Polish Presidency has been presenting the European Union's position in line with the mandate hammered out in October. We've been drumming up support for a global agreement embracing all the major world economies.’

‘Poland is honoured to present - together with the European Commission - the EU stance at this, one of the biggest and most important negotiating summits of the Polish Presidency. As the European Union, we are resolutely campaigning for concrete results at the UN Climate Conference,’ Korolec remarked.

‘I am pleased with the work done by experts during the first week of the conference: the atmosphere has been constructive and obvious progress has been achieved in several key areas, though it is too early as yet to speak of concrete results. The economic context - especially in Europe - is very tough, and we need greater commitment to the negotiations, particularly on the part of the other global partners, if Durban is to produce a satisfying outcome,’ Korolec explained.

In accordance with the EU mandate, the summit should yield two crucial solutions: the so-called Durban roadmap, binding on all the leading economies, and a possible extension of the Kyoto Protocol - leading up to a world accord. ‘We need such a global framework because it's obvious that in its present shape the KyotoProtocol is not sufficient as an instrument for countering climate change. Currently, only 4 or 5 countries - in addition to the EU - are pledging their readiness to adopt a second commitment period under the Protocol. The EU cannot fight alone for climate protection. Support for the second commitment period is a kind of investment by the EU that, we hope, can encourage other countries to pursue the road towards a new, legally binding accord. Thus, the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol would become a transitional stage towards a new global climate regime,’ Korolec emphasised.

The Union also wants the summit to produce a packet of sustainable decisions, building on the achievements of the earlier Cancun Conference. Progress i is essential this week on the Green Climate Fund, the Climate Change Adaptation Framework, mechanisms enhancing technology transfers and the strengthening of the system guaranteeing transparency of actions under the climate convention.

Over the next week, the European Union will continue its hard work to achieve optimum results at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban. The EU wants them to constitute an important step in the short- and long-term campaign against climate change.

data publikacji: 05-12-2011