Climate talks at Durban face more stalling

The first week of talks is over at COP17, where speculation grew that Canada would withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol. But now India is one of the leading opponents to a global warming treaty. Charlotte Reid has more.

Climate change talks in South Africa were always going to be disappointing, with most predicting even before COP17 began, that discussions would be unlikely to reach an agreement for tackling carbon emissions.

The first week of talks ended with the release of the EU Road Map. It outlines the plans to set a binding agreement to cut gas emissions by 2015.

So far the EU’s plans have the support of a group of Least Developed Countries as well as the Alliance of Small Island States.

An EU source told The Guardian, “China is sending signals of flexibility, Indonesia, South Africa and Brazil are sympathetic but India is still saying the current treaty is a red line”.

India is refusing to approve anything because it is worried that emission targets might undermine their growing economy. The Indians want their economy to grow because it will then take hundreds of millions of their population out of poverty.

There is also opposition from the US, where diplomats have told reporters that they are not prepared to sign the roadmap without knowing more details.  

From last week’s discussions Canadian Prime Minister Peter Kent said that the Kyoto Protocol was a thing of the past, which led to speculation that the country was going to formally withdraw from the agreement.

Added to this US research centre, the centre for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), says there is no chance that the Kyoto Protocol will be meaningful after the negotiations in Durban.

Meanwhile protestors have demanded that results come out of COP17 as part of the Global Day of Climate Action Protest march, which took place over the weekend in Durban.

To follow what happens at COP17 then read Blue & Green Tomorrow’s coverage. Four practical steps you can take yourself would be to speak to your financial adviser or let us find one for you through our online form, switch to renewable energy, make your Christmas as ethical as possible, and if you are going to Durban, look at one of our sustainable travel partners.