Dimas cites ‘moral duty’ on global warming

By Anna McLauchlin

Date: 09/12/04

THE world's industrialized nations have a "moral duty" to help developing countries struggling to manage the impact of global warming, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told European Voice ahead of the tenth Conference of Parties (COP 10) summit on climate change in Buenos Aires.

One of the biggest topics on the table at the summit will be 'adaptation' - how countries will cope with the changing climate and particularly how the developed world decides to help poorer countries adapt.

"There is a moral duty on industrialized countries to help developing countries, particularly the very poor ones," Dimas said.

He highlighted the recent hurricanes in Florida and Haiti and how differently they affected the economy of the two states. "They had the same hurricane but the destruction in Haiti was horrendous… and they have to face the economic consequences now," he said. "Florida was able to face this problem immediately."

One of the main problems with the adaptation issue is how much the richer world is prepared to donate to its poorer neighbours. The commissioner would not be drawn on numbers. Although he admitted that "for everything there is a price", he stressed that the point "is to try to do whatever is feasible and to reach, perhaps not consensus, but agreement that we will take the action necessary in these countries".

Investing in poorer countries would also bring rewards in the form of more commitment from these nations on reducing greenhouse emissions in the future, Dimas said.

Discussions in Buenos Aires will focus on the role that fast-developing countries such as China and India should play in reducing emissions, in addition to efforts by industrialized countries.

"If you show willingness to help these countries and participate in their efforts to develop, and at the same time protect them from extreme weather conditions, you will persuade them to make real efforts to cut gas emissions", Dimas insisted.

But the Greek commissioner agreed that any emission-cutting targets would have to be different for these nations.

"Of course they do not have the same obligations as the other member states because they have contributed less to the greenhouse gas phenomenon," he said.

Dimas warned that delegations should not separate adaptation from the vital issue of reducing emissions in the future. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions would be a much harder battle without the US on board, he admitted.

But he expressed hope that discussions with Washington would be advanced.

"Re-engaging the US will be very important and I think that this could be facilitated by the recent initiative of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to put climate change on the agenda of the G8," he said, referring to the group of the seven most industrialized countries, plus Russia.

Dimas is hopeful that the Buenos Aires round will be the "starting point" for talks to advance next year.

"Russia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol will make us more comfortable in Buenos Aires and will give new dynamism and even enthusiasm for dealing with the problem of climate change," he said.

"I hope that there will be more willingness by the various member states and the other participants of the convention to start thinking more positively about the post-2012 period."

Echoing his predecessor Margot Wallström, Dimas noted that the EU would "pave the way" for post-2012 negotiations by showing other countries how it intends to reach its Kyoto targets.

"We should show, and we have done so already, that we practise what we preach. We should make a success of our emissions trading system and achieve our 8% reduction target, so that we can tell other countries that they must also try."

Dimas denied that the European Commission's negotiating position in Buenos Aires might be undermined by the fact that he lacks experience, as he is only a few weeks into his environment mandate.

"We are going to Buenos Aires with very experienced people from DG Environment [the Commission's environment department] who have dealt with these files for many years," he said.

"At the same time, myself and my cabinet are preparing hard and we will be ready for the discussion," Dimas added.

Article based on an interview with European Commissioner for the Environment ahead of the 10th Conference of the Parties on climate change in Buenos Aires, December 2004.