South Korea to bridge rich and poor nations

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.
Morten Andersen - 15/12/2009 - 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.

The President is to speak at the Copenhagen summit on Thursday. The speech will also announce South Korea's offer to host the COP18. COP16 and COP17 are to be held in Mexico and South Africa, respectively.

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Carbon capture is put on hold

As some countries have reservations on carbon capture and storage (CCS) the emerging technology will not be added to the UN-backed carbon reducing mechanisms here in Copenhagen.
Morten Andersen - 15/12/2009 - Capturing carbon dioxide at coal-fired power plants in order to store in it the ground will not become a measure supported by the UN-backed Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) this year. A committee under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has discussed the issue, but delayed any decisions for summits to come.

A text by the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice “recognizes that carbon dioxide capture and storage in geological formations has been proposed by some Parties for inclusion under the CDM”, but also “recognizes that other Parties have registered concern regarding the implications of this possible inclusion.”

USA and UK are the chief advocates of the emerging technology. However, some other countries have concerns over “the long-term liability for the storage site, including liability for any seepage”, the text displays.

The text specifies that the Subsidiary Body will continue to work on the issue in order to produce a more detailed suggestion for the COP16 in Mexico next year, or the COP17 in South Africa in 2011.

Da UNFCCC