India and China have demonstrated commitment to a climate accord struck in Copenhagen last year and their refusal so far to “associate” with it should not be overblown, the UN’s climate chief said yesterday.
The Copenhagen Accord reached last year was not legally binding, but over 100 countries have already said they are willing to “associate” with it, which means their names are listed at the top of the document.
China and India are yet to say if they will associate or not, but the head of the UN Climate Secretariat, Yvo de Boer, said he was unworried by that.
“Both China and India, together with about 60 other countries, have submitted plans or targets on the actions they plan to take. In that sense, I think there is both a political and substantive commitment in the context of the Copenhagen Accord,” he told reporters at a UN environment meeting in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian island of Bali.
“The Indian prime minister has indicated that he supports the Copenhagen Accord and India has submitted a national action plan in the context of the Copenhagen Accord. India has formulated eight national goals in different areas that are directly relevant to climate change. India is moving forward on this topic at the national level,” de Boer said.
People should focus less on the Copenhagen Accord and more on finalizing the implementation of a legally binding agreement. Only after that, he said, would countries be expected to sign up.
Indian Environment Secretary, Vijai Sharma, on Thursday played down his country’s reluctance to associate with the accord.
“India has gone a step further. We are already taking action,” he told reporters.
De Boer, a Dutch national, will resign from the UN in July to join consultancy firm KPMG.
When asked if he was interested in replacing De Boer as chief, Sharma responded by giving the thumbs up sign.
De Boer said yesterday that Europe, Japan and the US were looking at using existing financial institutions and mechanisms to distribute the US$30 billion in climate aid promised by developed to poor countries in Copenhagen.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said yesterday that quick disbursement of this promised money was vital, but Norway’s Environment Minister, Erik Solheim, said he was not aware of any progress being made on that front.
“It’s too much up in the air, still. Time is very short. It must be done in the next two months,” he said.
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