NATIONAL
STATEMENT DELIVERED AT THE UN CLIMATE CHANGE
CONFERENCE IN POZNAN BY MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK,
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM,
SOUTH AFRICA,
11 DECEMBER 2008 - South
Africa associates itself with the statements
by Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the
G77&China, and Algeria on behalf of
the African Group.
In Bali, we opened the
door for negotiating a strengthened climate
regime that mobilises political will on
the basis of a shared vision and equitable
burden-sharing; that balances climate and
development, and adaptation and mitigation;
and that provides adequate means of implementation.
In Poznan, we must now
walk through that door and move into full
negotiating mode, thereby ensuring that
we conclude negotiations in Copenhagen in
twelve months time. We cannot now dither
in the face of a short term economic downturn.
To arrive at an internationally agreed,
legally-binding and enforceable outcome
in Copenhagen, to be ratified by 2012, we
need negotiating texts on the table early
in 2009.
Increasingly, developing
countries are making substantive proposals
to move us forward. In South Africa, we
have committed to our emissions peaking
between 2020 and 2025, then stabilising
for a decade, before declining in absolute
terms towards mid-century. We will put our
best efforts into making our fair contribution
- but to do more, we need support from the
international community.
We are looking to developed
countries to take the lead. We are therefore
disappointed that the G77&China's proposals
on technology and finance have been met
by a deafening silence. Unfortunately, some
of our developed country partners still
play hide and seek with commitments on ambitious
mid-term targets. We call on them to come
forward with clear numbers.
With reference to the
overall structure of the Copenhagen package,
it will be a missed opportunity if we do
not also start a political dialogue in Poznan
on the content and legal form of the agreed
outcome.
In 1992, the Convention
was negotiated as a framework, an umbrella
that establishes the key principles and
areas of work. In 1995, we took decisive
action and agreed to develop a new legal
instrument, the Kyoto Protocol - as a first,
but not sufficient step under this framework.
Adopting another instrument which will co-exist
with the Kyoto Protocol under this Convention
Framework, parts of which need to be legally-binding,
may well be what is required next to achieve
a balance of interests.
Firstly, we must give
legally binding force to mitigation commitments
by the developed country that has not yet
ratified the Kyoto Protocol. These commitments
must be comparable to the mid-term targets
negotiated under the Kyoto Protocol for
the second commitment period, and it must
be supported by a robust compliance system.
These absolute reduction targets for Annex
I Parties, in aggregate, should be towards
the upper end of the range of 25% to 40%
below 11000 levels by 2020, and should underpin
a long term goal of domestic emission reductions
in developed countries of 80% to 95% below
11000 levels by 2050.
Secondly, we must create
a binding regime for delivery by developed
countries of technology, financing and capacity-building
support for developing country action, which
is measurable, reportable and verifiable.
Predictable funding and technology flows
to developing countries hold the potential
to trigger commensurate nationally-appropriate
mitigation actions. This will ensure that
we are enabled to bend the curve of our
emissions to deviate substantially from
our business-as-usual emission trajectories.
Finally, we must create
a mechanism for international recognition
of developing country action and to match
actions with commensurate incentives.
Mr President, we must
ensure that global emissions peak in the
next 10 to 15 years. It is now time to raise
the bar for all. South Africa stands ready
to do its part. We are also playing a leading
role to advance gender mainstreaming as
a critical dimension of poverty eradication,
sustainable development and adaptation to
climate change.
I thank you.
ENQUIRIES: Ronel Bester
