UN CLIMATE TALK KICKS-OFF IN BANGKOK

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- A crucial United Nations talk to reduce the
emission of greenhouse effect gases kicks-off in Bangkok Monday, as over 1,500
delegates from 192 countries try to break deadlocks on the climate change treaty
before the important climate conference in Copenhagen in December.

It is part of a series of five major negotiating sessions under the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change leading up to the Copenhagen meeting.

The countries concerned had agreed in 2007 to launch a two-year negotiating
process in order to strike a deal by the end of 2009 and replace the Kyoto
Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) said that although time was not only pressing and almost running
out, he was confident that in the two weeks here, real progress could be made to
break deadlocks.

He said the comprehesive deal should ensure essential elements such as
enhanced action to assist the most vulnerable and poorest in the world to adapt
to the impacts of climate change, ambitious emission reduction targets for
industrialised countries and financial support.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who officiated the meeting, said
Thailand was working closely with its Asean neighbours and Asean Dialogue
Partners to achieve green growth and development.

He said the 10-member regional grouping had set up an East Asia Climate
Change Partnership Fund, while the climate change issue would be high on the
agenda during the 15th Asean Summit in Hua Hin next month.

According to Abhisit, Thailand was trying to make changes to its energy mix
in favour of clean, alternative and renewable energy by reducing dependence on
fossil fuels, increasing energy efficiency and becoming a player in alternative
energy in the region.

Denmark's Climate and Energy Minister, Connie Hedegaard said although steady
progress had been made, pledges were only equal to a 15 percent reduction
compared to 1990, and expressed her disappointment with last weeek's G20 meeting
which did not deliver on climate finance as expected.

"We have talked long enough. The world expects action," she said.


The Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (Escap), Dr Noeleen Heyzer said the world needed a
development-oriented solution, in which the goal of limiting emissions was
integrated with statisfying people's development needs.

Heyzer said it was fortunate that major nations had come forward with new
pledges, including China which promised to reduce the carbon intensity of its
economy by a notable margin by 2020, while Japan and the European Unions planned
to reduce their emissions by 25 percent and 30 percent respectively.

Most of the countries want a new climate deal that includes measures to
limit temperature increases to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial
temperature.

-- BERNAMA