Delegates frustrated over slow progress at Copenhagen meet

Betwa Sharma
Copenhagen, Dec 13 (PTI) On the halfway mark of the
Copenhagen Climate Change conference delegates have expressed
frustration that one week into the meeting sufficient progress
had not been made due to differences between the developed and
developing world.
"Almost a week has passed we are in a situation where
we can see that we haven’t achieved enough if we would
continue at this pace we would not manage what is to be
achieved next week," the Swedish Environment Minister,
speaking on behalf of the EU told journalists here.
On the halfway mark of the meet negotiators and
ministers inside the Bella centre were locked in closed rooms
poring over rough drafts of potential agreements trying to
reach some sort of compromise in their divergent positions on
technical issues as well as political stands.
"So basically EU is now intending to make sure that we
can create even further possibilities in the negotiations. I
also expect that we ministers will have an important role to
play to make sure that we can help and support the protest and
create some political achievement on issues that are difficult
to achieve among negotiators," he added.
Even before the High Level Segment begins next week,
around 48 ministers including Indian Environment Minister have
already arrived and have gone into closed door informal
meetings that began Saturday.
Several delegates have said that time is running out
and the bridges between the developed and developing world
looks increasingly difficult.
Even within these groups differences have emerged
between the emerging economies like India and China with small
island states as well as the African groups- as all their
interests vary.
The present chair of G77 and China, Lumumba Stanislaus
Di-Aping, reportedly walked out of meeting with UN
representatives here and he was heard remarking to a TV
channel "things are not going well."
Day after day, in new conferences, different
delegations are telling the media polar opposite positions
from each other. On Friday, the United States Chief envoy on
Climate Change told the press that the US could not make a
deal unless emerging economies like India and China put their
commitments into a binding agreement.
Only an hour later, in another press conference Indian
Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, made clear that New Delhi
would not compromise on its "red lines" and its national
voluntary measures to combat climate change are not up for
international scrutiny.
Delegates from 192 countries have been for a week
attempting to hammer out a climate change treaty before the
heads of state/government from over a 100 countries including
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, US President Barack Obama,
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao begin to arrive next week. PTI BS
SKT