Countries in talks at Mexico's Cancun beach resort are split over how to toughen existing pledges to cut carbon emissions, made at last year's Copenhagen summit which ended in a brief, non-binding agreement.
Issues that hinge on a deal on emissions include long-term climate aid for developing countries and payments to tropical nations to protect their forests.
Following are areas of possible agreement at the November 29-December 10 talks:
* Extending the Kyoto Protocol
- Decide whether to continue the protocol, as favored by developing countries. Its first round of targets ends in 2012
- Decide on the length of commitment period of the next round of targets, for example whether to 2017 or 2020
- Decide whether to cancel surplus, tradable emissions credits owned by countries that are well below their 2008-2012 Kyoto targets. Credits are called assigned amount units (AAUs) * Emissions targets
- Decide new national targets either under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol or the 1992 U.N. climate convention, or both
- Some industrialized countries do not like Kyoto, as so far it has only controlled the emissions of developed countries. A way out may be to note new targets in an appendix to Kyoto and the convention
- Refer to a long-term goal, for example to limit warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F)
- Mention the widely held scientific view that emissions targets pledged so far are too weak
- Review in 2013-2015 whether targets need strengthening * Measurement
- Also called measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)
- Agree to measure developed country emissions, for example annually, and also their contribution to climate aid funds
- Agree to measure developing countries greenhouse gases and their actions to slow emissions growth, perhaps every two to four years
- Agree common accounting standards, for example on measuring carbon emissions from forests * Protecting rainforests
Read More
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B60GH20101207
Issues that hinge on a deal on emissions include long-term climate aid for developing countries and payments to tropical nations to protect their forests.
Following are areas of possible agreement at the November 29-December 10 talks:
* Extending the Kyoto Protocol
- Decide whether to continue the protocol, as favored by developing countries. Its first round of targets ends in 2012
- Decide on the length of commitment period of the next round of targets, for example whether to 2017 or 2020
- Decide whether to cancel surplus, tradable emissions credits owned by countries that are well below their 2008-2012 Kyoto targets. Credits are called assigned amount units (AAUs) * Emissions targets
- Decide new national targets either under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol or the 1992 U.N. climate convention, or both
- Some industrialized countries do not like Kyoto, as so far it has only controlled the emissions of developed countries. A way out may be to note new targets in an appendix to Kyoto and the convention
- Refer to a long-term goal, for example to limit warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F)
- Mention the widely held scientific view that emissions targets pledged so far are too weak
- Review in 2013-2015 whether targets need strengthening * Measurement
- Also called measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)
- Agree to measure developed country emissions, for example annually, and also their contribution to climate aid funds
- Agree to measure developing countries greenhouse gases and their actions to slow emissions growth, perhaps every two to four years
- Agree common accounting standards, for example on measuring carbon emissions from forests * Protecting rainforests
Read More
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B60GH20101207
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