German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced concern yesterday about the pace of climate negotiations in Copenhagen and said she is “somewhat nervous” about prospects of success.
The crucial conference in the Danish capital, which is due to end Friday, has been marked by deep divisions between rich and poor nations. It is supposed to deliver a deal to curb emissions of the gases that cause global warming.
“These kinds of big conferences with many, many interests frequently get stuck, but it’s Tuesday already and we want to be done on Friday,” Merkel said after meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
All involved should make a “constructive contribution so that Copenhagen can be a success,” Merkel said. However, she added: “I don’t want to hide the fact I am somewhat nervous as to whether we will manage all that.”
Yudhoyono said climate talks in Bali two years ago had shown that deadlocks can be broken. “We just need good will and openness on the part of all involved,” he said.
The hoped-for deal in Copenhagen is supposed to pave the way for a final treaty to be negotiated over the next six to 12 months.
“We need international monitoring of the results of Copenhagen ... otherwise every country can promise something (and) that’s not enough,” Merkel said.
“We need an international mechanism that monitors things” under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, she added.
As the first emerging economy to take on absolute reduction commitments, South Korea hopes to play a key role in Copenhagen where on Thursday President Lee Myung-bak will also offer to host the 2012 UN conference on climate change.
As requested by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, South Korea is ready to play a key role in Copenhagen. Also the Asian country is offering to host the COP18 – the UN conference on climate change to be held in 2012.
“I’m ready to tackle global issues such as climate change not by words, but by actions,” President Lee Myung-bak replied to the UN Secretary-General’s request, according to the Korea Times.
South Korea recently announced that it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by four percent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. This makes the country the first emerging economy to take on an absolute reduction commitment and not only a relative commitment compared to a business-as-usual scenario.
“I hope our green growth vision will become a beacon for other countries in participating in the global fight against climate change,” President Lee Myung-bak says according to the Korea Times.
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