Doha extends weakened Kyoto Protocol
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E-mail CNTV, December 9, 2012
The UN climate talks in the Qatari capital Doha have delivered an agreement to extend the Kyoto Protocol for another term. Almost 200 nations have agreed to extend the weakened UN plan for fighting global warming until 2020.
After several days of deadlocked talks, conference chairman Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah finally rushed through the package of deals, termed the Doha Climate Gateway.
Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, Doha Climate Conference President, said, "We propose the adoption of the amendment decisions contained in document CMP 9, L 9 and CNP L4 reference 1, conditional on the whole package, no objections."
The talks were scheduled to close on Friday, but ran a whole day into extra time. Negotiations were paralyzed as rich and poor nations faced off on finance issues.
An extension of Kyoto was finally approved with the European Union, Australia, Switzerland and eight other industrialized nations signing up for binding emission cuts by 2020. They represent about 15 percent of global emissions.
The protocol locks in only developed nations. It excludes major developing countries such as China and India, as well as the United States, which refuses to ratify it.
The package also includes an agreement to scale up funding to help developing countries deal with the effects of global warming.
Developed countries have pledged a fund of 30 billion US dollars to cover the period from 2010 to 2012. They have also promised to scale-up aid to 100 billion dollars per year by 2020. But a decision on a timetable for future payments has been delayed until next year.
China has proposed that developed countries raise 20 billion dollars per year between 2013 and 2015 for a "medium-term" climate fund as long-term financing falls into uncertainty in the wake of the global economic downturn.
UN chief hails outcome of Doha talks
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has welcomed the outcome of the UN climate conference in Doha. He's called for more international efforts to limit the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius.
