S. Korea committed to 'voluntary' greenhouse gas reduction: official

(ATTN: ADDS with more details, comments from para 17)
By Lee Joon-seung
COPENHAGEN, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea supports a "voluntary" reduction of
greenhouse gases for developing countries, a government official said at ongoing
climate change talks in Copenhagen on Thursday.
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said Seoul looks favorably on the
recommendations made by an ad hoc working group on long-term cooperative action
that differentiates between advanced economies and developing nations.
"The recommendations made by the ad hoc group that have engaged in negotiations
following the 2007 Bali Action plan, calls for the overall adherence to the Kyoto
Protocol," the official stressed.
Maintaining the structure of the Kyoto pact reached in 1997 is vital for
developing economies because they are not required to make mandatory cuts that
could hurt economic growth.
Moves by developed economies to push for a single undertaking where both
developing and developed countries have to make cuts caused an uproar and almost
derailed the two-week long talks that kicked off on Dec. 7.
The South Korean government official said that recommendations made late last
week call on developed countries to adopt legally binding actions to cut
greenhouse gas emissions, while not imposing similar measures on developing
economies.
Poorer countries only need to show that they are taking "clear actions" to cut
back on emissions, and to register such cuts and win international recognition
for such measures.
He said that while Seoul wants to maintain its non-Annex 1 status, it has taken
steps to do its part to cut global warming. Under the Kyoto deal, South Korea is
classified as a non-Annex 1 country, meaning that it is not required to make
cuts.
The government said last month that it wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions by
30 percent from its forecast, or business as usual (BAU), level in 2020 compared
to 2005.
If there are no sudden fluctuations in energy prices or economic growth, overall
greenhouse gas output by the country could fall slightly to 569 million tons in
2020 from 594 million tons in 2005.
He said the BAU cuts represent a bold move, adding that out of all the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reduction schemes, Seoul chose the
highest figure for non-Annex 1 countries.
Other South Korean officials in the Danish capital, meanwhile, said that time is
running out for countries to reach a deal to come up with a blueprint after the
Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
"Talks to reach some kind of understanding should have started last week, but
objections from various parties made such a move impossible," a source said.
He said at the present pace, it may be effectively impossible to reach a deal by
Friday when the talks are scheduled to end.
"The date may be extended one day, but even with the extra time it may be hard to
reach a meaningful accord this time," he claimed. The working level official,
however, said there is a remote chance that the leaders from over 100 countries
arriving between Thursday and Friday may agree on a last minute breakthrough.
The official warned that even under such circumstances, however, any such deal
may lack detail and could simply lead to calls for continued talks to iron out
outstanding differences in 2010.
"There are several stumbling blocks that need to be ironed out, such as a lack of
clear qualitative cuts that should be pledged by the advanced industrialized
countries in Europe, North America and Japan, and the extent of financial
assistance that these countries are willing to give to the developing world so
they too can cut back on emission levels," he said. The working level official
said that most countries are not satisfied with "pledges" made by China and the
United States to cut their respective emission levels. The two countries are the
top two emitters of greenhouse gases in the world and have been at odds on global
warming issues.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a press conference earlier in the
day that Washington will do its part to create US$100 billion fund by 2020 to
help developing countries reduce carbon levels, although making clear that there
is a need for transparancy to make certain actual cuts are taking place. Beijing
has balked at allowing outsiders to check its greenhouse reduction measures
citing national sovereignty.
Officials, meanwhile, said that while some countries have hinted that South Korea
as a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development should
join countries required to make mandatory cuts, such a move is not acceptable.
They said that South Korea, as an export-oriented nation cannot afford to take
steps that can hurt its competitiveness vis-a-vis countries such as China, who
have not taken serious steps to cut greenhouse gases.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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