The newly-founded Cartagena group, a collection of 27 countries seeking ambitious outcomes from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and low carbon output domestically, have concluded a two day meeting at Bandos Island Resort.
Participating countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Samoa, Spain, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uruguay, UK and the European Commission.
In hosting the event, the Maldives hopes to take a leadership role in presenting small island nations and developing countries as a unified front to the COP 16 meeting in Mexico.
“We want to see an action-oriented outcome from Cancun,” said Maldives Minister for the Environment, Mohamed Aslam.
He said the Cartagena group would hold a third meeting in a few months in Costa Rica.
During the meeting President Mohamed Nasheed praised developing countries for leading the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for climate change.
“These developing countries are pursuing low carbon growth and green development because it is in their fundamental economic and security interests to do so,” Nasheed said. “When those with the least start doing the most, it shows that everyone’s ambitions can be raised.”
Special envoy of climate change for Mexico Luis De Alba thanked the Maldivian government for its leadership in climate change and for providing the opportunity to discuss the climate change issues.
”It was particularly productive to identify the specific decisions and actions to be taken,” he said. ”We are looking for a very ambitious outcome and are very ready to play a leadership role.”
New Zealand Ambassador for international climate change negotiations Timothy John Groser, said the Maldives had “punched above its weight on climate change.”
”I think Maldives have played a very important leadership role climate change negotiations,” said Groser. ”It is very difficult to move forward, [because] the two giants, the US and China who are together responsible 40 percent of atmospheric emissions, must also show leadership.”
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Dr Baldwin Spencer said the meeting was effective.
”I think everybody [present] has brought a sincere and burning desire to get to a position where we can arrive at a workable and adaptable solution regardless of whether you are developed country, undeveloped country or developing country.”
“We all in this together. This meeting here in the Maldives must go down as a successful meeting,” Spencer added.
Dr Tewolde Egziabher, the Director-General of Ethiopia’s Environmental Protection Authority, pledged that Ethiopia would become carbon neutral by 2025.
Dr Egziabher said his country of 80 million people would meet its target by switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, in particular hydropower, and by implementing a vast reforestation scheme.
Faumuina Tiatia, the Samoan Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, also pledged that his country would become carbon neutral by 2020.
“Cutting fossil fuels from our economy will benefit both the climate and our financial bottom line. It is much cheaper for us to generate electricity from renewable sources than to import increasingly-expensive oil,” he said.
The minister added that he hoped other countries would follow this ambitious pledge.
The Marshall Islands pledged to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2020, from a 2009 base year.
“In 2008, the Marshall Islands declared a state of emergency because a spike in oil prices meant we almost ran out of money to pay for fuel imports. We are moving away from imported oil in order to improve our energy security and play our part in the fight against climate change,” said Phillip Muller, the Marshall Island’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
The Maldives and Costa Rica also reaffirmed their commitment to carbon neutrality, by 2020 and 2021 respectively.
“As a developing country we are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2021. We are working on establishing a robust measuring, reporting and verifying (MRV) system to set an example for countries that seek low emission development strategies. In future, we also hope to establish an international standard for countries who wish to share the carbon neutral goal,” said Andrei Bourrouet, the Costa Rican Vice-Minister of Environmental Management and Energy.
Speaking towards the end of the meeting, President Mohamed Nasheed praised fellow developing countries for leading the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for climate change.
“These developing countries are pursuing low-carbon growth and green development because it is in their fundamental economic and security interests to do so,” the President said.
“When those with the least start doing the most, it shows that everyone’s ambitions can be raised,” he added.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
Maldivians will survive climate change, says tourism minister- Comment: The Maldives cannot represent climate leadership with an autocrat at the helm
- Foreign Minister calls for greater resilience to climate change impacts
- “We do not want to be in Paris to get perished,” Maldives ambassador tells climate change convention
- There’s nothing more conservative than conserving the planet, Nasheed tells Huffington Post
- Maldives elected chair of Alliance of Small Island States
ojo , en las noticias de maldivas