Recap: Bonn, Germany

Developed and developed nations clashed on several fronts of climate change in Bonn, Germany where international climate talks officially resumed. 1700 delegates from 175 countries were in attendance. Several outstanding issues continued to be debated. While the United States fully endorses the Copenhagen Accord and has championed its significance, other countries have blasted it for not being ambitious, and even stepping outside of the UNFCC framework.

A leading US climate negotiator, John Pershing told delegates: "We view Copenhagen as a significant milestone. We believe that the accord should materially influence further negotiations. This was not a casual agreement."

Meanwhile, developing countries weakly support or vehemently oppose the Copenhagen Accord. Bolivia has accused countries like the United States and the Netherlands of economically bullying its government to accept the accord, through suggestions of trade and aid embargoes. Bolivia has the lowest GDP of any sovereign state in South America. Other left wing -led South American governments have joined Bolivia and called the economic coercion as a 'neo-imperialism'. They believe that the 2007 Bali Summit, developed within the UNFCC framework, ought to serve as the basis for a legally binding agreement in Cancun. The Bali summit proposed a 20-40% decrease in fuel emissions by 2020 and published a 'roadmap' to further negotiations.

After the Bonn conference, Boliva's UN Ambassador Pablo Solon questioned:

"Are we really willing to say that allowing temperatures to rise to four or five degrees is a good goal?"

At the same time, the world's two largest CO2 emitters, the United States and China, also clashed over how drastically emissions each country cut and how to fund emissions reductions. Neither nation would pledge additional cuts until the other agreed to cut its own emissions.

Su We, one of China's leading climate negotiators announced:

"Cancun has a very clear objective -- to ensure that the work set out in the Bali road map is carried out."

Countries reiterated their initial Copenhagen positions and would not commit to compromise or concede on any additional points to their opposition.

The negotiators determined that there will be at least two additional week-long summits prior to the COP16 in Cancun, Mexico. But even this decision was controversial. Critics were quick to point to the excessive costs of these meetings, which figure to total in $7-15 million apiece.

Although many island nations pushed for hard that was urged on at the onset of the Bonn conference was noticeably absent in the first international climate talk since Copenhagen. Ironically, Bolivia and the United States both plan to host separate summits later this month: Bolivia will host the World Peoples' Summit and Rights of Mother Earth 19-22 April and has invited all UN nations to it. Boliva hopes that at least 49 LDC's (Least Developed Countries) will attend the meeting; LDC's are considered the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The World Peoples' Summit will begin the day the US-sponsored Major Economics Forum ends. The MEF is set to occur in Washington DC from 18-19 April and the 17 nations invited are responsible for 80% of global CO2 emissions. The United States' domestic carbon regulation bill is set to reach the Senate floor on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, which is 22 April, and will likely set the US's platform for future negotiations.

Both summits will be presided by and sponsored by the UNFCCC. Yvo De Boer, head of the UNFCCC asserted:

"Copenhagen was the last get-out-of-jail-free card and we cannot afford another failure in Cancun," he added, "I think if we see another failure in Cancun, that will cause a serious loss of confidence in the ability of this process to deliver."

Author: Michael Good | Climate Action

Image Provided by:
Rberteig | Flickr