Copenhagen and Brasília – The secretary general of the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-15), Yvo de Boer, stated on this Tuesday (8th) that projects for reducing emission of greenhouse gases, funded with public money from wealthy nations, should also benefit the large developing countries, such as Brazil, China and India.
He spoke during a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the UN’s global meeting on climate started last Monday. “The funds should be allocated to projects in all of the poor and developing countries. Large nations should have access too, but that will depend on each project presented,” he said.
Brazilian negotiators in Copenhagen have already announced that they will not accept an agreement that excludes the projects of these developing nations in order for the financial commitment of wealthy countries with measures of adaptation of emerging economies to be restricted. Brazil is fearful that wealthy nations might be seeking an agreement only to obtain short-term funds totalling US$ 10 billion per year from 2010 to 2013.
De Boer underscored, however, that the share of funds allocated to poor countries needs to be increased, as presently 80% of funds go to only eight nations. The secretary general regretted the fact that “serious” talks only began in the two weeks that preceded the meeting, making it more complicated for an understanding to be reached before the arrival of the heads of state, on the 15th.
European call
On the first day of the meeting, the European Union called for greater funding from the United States to projects for fighting deforestation in emerging countries, such as Brazil. The information was supplied by BBC Brazil.
The investment would complement the plans that have already been announced by the United States government – of cutting down emissions by 17% by 2020, and speeding up the cuts from then on – and would be made by purchasing carbon credits to make up for the pollution generated in the country.
The proposal presented by the European bloc includes reducing global deforestation by 50% in the next 10 years, and eradicating it in 20 years. Such actions, however, will demand trillions of dollars over the next decades, and the source of said funding should be one of the most controversial issues in Copenhagen.
The wealthy countries are preparing to present a proposal that has been nicknamed Fast Start Fund, a fund of approximately US$ 10 billion that would ensure the immediate start of adaptive actions in the poorer countries most affected by climate change, such as Bangladesh and the Maldives.
However, the chief negotiator for Brazil, ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, stated that the “lack of a clear commitment from developed countries” in the financial aspect is one of the problems at the meeting. “It is not possible for us to leave here with a short-term financing plan,” he said. Brazil and other developing countries are interested in a guarantee of long-term financing.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
