CLIMATE CHANGE: ‘Fifteen Years and CO2 Still Rising’

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 24 (IPS) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took the industrialised countries to task here Monday for their failure to take drastic actions against climate change.

“Fifteen years have passed since the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was finalised,” he told an international gathering of heads of state. “Yet, the industrialised country emissions are (still) rising.”
Noting that their per capita level of carbon emissions remains “unacceptably high”, he urged industrialised nations to assume an “enhanced” leadership role in tackling climate change and to support poor countries in expanding the use of clean energy.

Ban, who sees climate change as “a serious threat to development”, convened the meeting of the heads of state Monday amid hopes that it might help produce meaningful results at the next round of global talks climate change agreement in Bali, Indonesia, due in December.

Not surprisingly, U.S. President George W. Bush decided not to attend the one-day conference, although his country is known to be the largest polluter of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet.

In criticising industrialised nations for their relative inaction on emission cuts, Ban did not specifically mention the U.S. role, but in a veiled reference to Washington’s isolationist approach and its reluctance to join global efforts, he did express his sense of disapproval.

“Given the nature and magnitude of the challenge, national action is insufficient,” Ban said. “No nation can address this challenge alone. No region can insulate itself from climate change.”

Inter Press Service