The world’s major polluters are not demonstrating enough short term ambition to cut emissions, according to EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard.
In her first press conference since arriving at the Doha climate talks, Hedegaard hit back at claims that the EU was pushing a weak extension to the Kyoto Protocol, arguing that the bloc was the only player with serious proposals on the table.
Kyoto’s binding commitments cover around 15% of global emissions. The USA accounts for 16%, but has not signed up to the treaty, while China is classed as a developing state, so its 29% of of the global total is exempt from any limits.
“We all know it’s too few countries who commit in a second commitment period, nonetheless it’s important that some of us do it in order not to waste all the work that has been done over the years,” Hedegaard said.
“But I would just urge everybody, not to forget, to focus on what is it that the remaining countries that represent 85% of global emissions, what are they doing to add to global ambition in the shorter term?
VIDEO REPORT: RTCC’s Daniel Schweimler reflects on the EU climate chief’s first press conference
COP18: Connie Hedegaard, Commissioner for Climate Action, EU from Responding to Climate Change on Vimeo.