By Brian Johnson - 12th December 2005
The EU has claimed an unexpected diplomatic victory after brokering an eleventh hour deal at UN climate talks in Montreal.
The talks ended in the small hours of Sunday morning with a 157-nation deal to develop new binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions when the Kyoto protocol ends in 2012.
But the biggest surprise came with an agreement that included the US and its allies on beginning international cooperation on tackling climate change.
UK Environment Minister Margaret Beckett, the EU’s chief negotiator, said the deal that brought the US on board in beginning discussions in 2006 on future international cooperation had been a “diplomatic triumph”.
And although future talks will be non-binding, obtaining Washington’s involvement in climate change discussions at international level was hailed as a defining moment.
The outcome of the talks in Canada is the “end of the beginning” in creating a global strategy to fight climate change, said EU environment chief, Stavros Dimas.
“Montreal is a watershed in the fight against climate change,” added Dimas.
EU negotiators had previously downplayed the chances of success in Montreal, after the US warned that discussions on future cooperation were “premature”.
The US came under intense international pressure to sign up to an agreement said a commission spokeswoman on Monday.
“The US came under repeated pressure from the EU. We pointed out that our way [of binding targets] was working.”
US intransigence - their negotiating team walked out of the talks - on Friday backfired after widespread worldwide hostility, criticism from former President Bill Clinton and diplomatic pressure from London.
Clinton called US President George W. Bush’s belief that the Kyoto protocol would damage the US economy as “flat wrong”.
Stavros Dimas said the agreement on new post 2012 commitments would reassure the developing world and businesses investing in clean technology, through the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
The CDM allows developed countries to offset their CO2 emissions by buying in to emission reducing projects in developing nations.
And the Greek commissioner pledged an additional €853,000, on top of €1.2 million previously paid by Brussels, towards developing these new clean technologies.
“This is giving the protocol a future. It reassures developing countries that transfer of clean technologies will remain worthwhile,” said Dimas.
“Europe has led, and will continue to lead, the endeavour to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.