EuropaWorld 16/11/2001 Marrakesh Opens New Phase in Combating Climate Change

The Conference at Marrakech, designed to put operational flesh on the bones of the political agreement to implement the Kyoto Climate Change Protocol, concluded last Saturday in agreement heralded by almost audible gasps of relief. While there were some last minute concessions to certain states, Japan and Russia in particular, the bottom line is that Kyoto is still on track and the majority of the countries of the developed world will take collective action to tackle the emissions of greenhouse gases that are widely believed to contribute significantly to the climate changes and disturbances that are becoming more evident every year.

As if to underline this point the coast of North Africa was swamped, shortly after the conference closed, by huge rainstorms that inundated large parts of Algeria and in particular its capital, Algiers. No one knows the death toll but there are reports that as many as 1000 people may have drowned.

The agreement reached at Marrakech has been widely welcomed in EU circles. "Peoples across the globe have demonstrated that, facing the global threat of climate change, they want to join forces," declared Margot Wallström, the EU's Environment Commissioner.

Well, no, not quite. The United States, responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, still has its doubts about whether the costs of cleaning up the atmosphere are not greater than those of accommodating climate change. It is not true to say that the United States is taking no action - there are various voluntary initiatives in place - but the country is taking no formal action and declines at present to be part of any multilateral climate process.

Margot Wallström referred to this as "the loss of a very important passenger on the way."

The EU's objective is to have the Kyoto Treaty ratified and the Protocol in force before the World Summit on Sustainable Development that will take place in Johannesburg in September 2002. For this to happen some fancy footwork will be required and the timetable explains the pressures on the EU to agree some fundamental concessions in order to get the Protocol at long last down the slipway and into the water.

"Now, we can commence a new journey to make the Protocol enter into force and pave the way for real action to cut greenhouse emissions. We need to travel at high speed. This is what people expect. Like the European Union, all other Parties should now take steps to bring the Protocol into force by the World Summit for Sustainable Development in September 2002," said Mrs Wallström.

There is no doubt that the strong line taken by the European Union was instrumental in securing the deal in Marrakech after two weeks of difficult negotiations. Olivier Deleuze, who led the EU delegation said that once again, the European Union had provided leadership in the international negotiations on the fight against climate change. The Protocol has now to be ratified by 55 countries representing 55 per cent of the industrialised world's greenhouse gas emissions. Given the impetus gained so far this will probably now be achieved.

One important part of the Marrakech agreement will help the Least Developed Countries adapt to climate change. The accord provides for multilateral co-operation at the level of the United Nations.