Interview to Minister of Environment about COP16 in Cancun
From 29th of November to 10th of December, 2010, COP16 was held in Cancun, Mexico. Hon. Enele Spoaga who is a Minister of Environment, Foreign affairs and Labor concurrently a deputy prime minister attended that meeting as Tuvalu delegation.
I interviewed to him about the result of COP16 and the expectation of COP17 that will be held next year.
”COP16 was not the last meeting in Copenhagen all over again. I would say that it was successful. After COP15 closed, the world society seemed like decreasing momentum to solve the problems of Climate Change, but , thanks to this meeting, I feel that the world society could revive its momentum. However, I was disappointed that we could not finalize the agreement with having legal binding forces.
Regarding “Green Climate Fund” and “CDM Adaptation Fund” which is already operated under the Kyoto Protocol, we have to continue reviewing and improving. However, as “Green Climate Fund”, this is not FUND but just a PAPER at this stage. If it has legal binding force, this fund will work well. On the contrary, “CDM Adaptation Fund” is more useful because it is amply funded. This fund will be more effective if it is adjusted to the second period of the Kyoto Protocol.
This time, it was noticeably that Japanese government thinks much of the national interest and protection for the domestic companies. Such an attitude is very unhelpful to the world society’s progress. Other countries, including Tuvalu, really would like to collaborate with Japanese high technology in many ways. Japan should quite such an attitude, and take the leadership toward the second period of Kyoto Protocol.
Not only asking Japan to take the leadership, but also it is very important that the US and China will take part in discussion. We have to maintain stability of the relationship between them, and we are required the respective approaches to them. First of all, China is not a developed country but a developing country. Because of that they have big amount of population who live precariously from day to day. China need development now. It is not the best way to force China to adjust the standard of developed countries. On the other hand, the US should definitely take the leadership of the world society as one of the developed countries.
We surely need their cooperation, because the US and China have a big amount of CO2 emissions. The world society should help them to take part in a progressive movement.
Tuvalu government is looking straight forward COP17 next year. Especially, I seek the agreement with having legally binding forces. The policy without legally binding force is not policy. The next advance of the world society is to get agreement with having strong legally binding forces. We do not have a moment to lose.”
