Contact:
Mag. My Hue McGowran
Phone: +43-1-81140-308
E-Mail: mcgowran@pressetext.com
| Pressbox | 
|
Bonn (pte023/17.05.2005/12:39) - Experts are currently meeting in Bonn, Germany, to begin drawing up a treaty on cutting gas emissions before meeting in Montreal, Canada, in December this year. The experts, chosen by over 100 governments, are discussing the greenhouse emission policy and how to continue after the Kyoto Protocol http://unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/items/2627.php expires in 2012.
However the talks have not been smooth. Some governments wish to continue with the Kyoto Protocol with similar outlines but others wish to start from scratch, ignoring what was agreed upon in Kyoto.
German environment minister Jurgen Trittin is enthusiastic about the Kyoto agreement's agenda, saying that the target-and-trade system "has proved successful", and urged that tougher emission cuts - 15 -20 per cent- be mandatory in industrialised nations by 2020.
Other countries suggested that negotiation with non-Kyoto-compliant countries such as the US and Australia, as well as developing countries like China, India and Brazil, would be more fruitful if the rules didn't involve severe cuts in national emissions.
So far three topics have been discussed: target-based technology - introducing renewable energy technologies, for example - 'carbon intensity targets', in which reducing the amount of carbon emitted is connected to the Gross Domestic Product, and a proposal from Swiss representative Beat Nobs regarding the so-called 'contraction and convergence' approach, which involves pegging national emissions to population.
A conclusion is hoped to be reached during the two-day conference.
(end)
|
|
