Lee urges immediate action from all nations to fight climate change

By Byun Duk-kun
COPENHAGEN, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was to
attend a U.N. summit here Friday for discussions on a new international climate
change convention that will guide the world through the next decade in its fight
against global warming.
The envisioned convention will replace the Kyoto Protocol, set to expire in 2012,
but no sign of a deal has emerged amid a wide gap between advanced and developing
countries over how much the latter should contribute and how or whether their
voluntary efforts should be verified.
South Korea set a voluntary target last month to cut emissions by 30 percent from
its forecast, or business-as-usual, level in 2020, the highest mitigation goal
set by a developing economy, none of which are required under the Kyoto Protocol
to cut emissions.
"If we wish to make any real difference, the only way is to take action together.
Instead of saying 'you first,' we should start by saying 'me first'," Lee said in
his keynote speech Thursday at the U.N. conference on climate change that began
here in the Danish capital last Monday.
The South Korean president arrived here Thursday for the climate summit that will
also be attended by the leaders of over 100 countries, including the United
States, China, Russia, Germany and France.
Lee was again expected to urge immediate and concerted efforts by all countries
to fight global warming in a speech at Friday's summit, according to South Korean
officials accompanying their president.
The South Korean leader will be speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity
Group, the only negotiation group within the climate summit that brings together
developing countries, South Korea and Mexico, and an advanced nation,
Switzerland, they said.
Also set to deliver a keynote speech at the climate summit are U.N. Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
The summit will be concluded later Friday along with the two-week U.N. climate
conference.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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