Brazil’s chief negotiator, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, pointed out that emerging economies should not have the same responsibility to reduce carbon emissions as developed countries (rich countries), implying a return to the old position that has led to years of stagnation in UN climate change negotiations.
Figueiredo stated during last week's UN General Assembly that Brazil is committed to the position agreed upon by all parties at last year's Durban conference in South Africa – to promote a common emissions reduction treaty between developed and developing countries.
However, he pointed out that the agreement should adhere to the UN principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities." This principle, reached in 1992, excluded countries such as Brazil, China, and India from mandatory carbon emission reductions, but the Durban summit appears to have abandoned this principle.
"Depending on their circumstances, different countries will make different contributions to combating global climate change," Figueiredo said. He was primarily referring to the responsibility of wealthy nations for the "occurrence of climate problems."
The BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) in the UN climate negotiations reiterated this position at a joint meeting in Brasilia last week, and the four countries will take a unified stance in the Doha negotiations that begin next month.
Figueiredo emphasized that the BASIC countries do not intend to abandon the voluntary carbon emission reduction commitments agreed upon at the Durban Summit or previous summits, but simply hope that each country can have a system tailored to its national needs and circumstances.
Figueiredo stated that if countries in the UN climate negotiations take this into account, coupled with the differentiated needs arising from varying responsibilities and capabilities, a blueprint can be developed.
Sources: Reuters (2012-10-03) (Compiled by PIDC)
