Linda Ensor and Jocelyn Newmarch
6 November 2009
Cape Town — Environment Minister Buyelwa Sonjica is "cautiously optimistic" about a deal on climate change being hammered out at the forthcoming Copenhagen conference. But no deal would be better than a weak deal, she said, and SA as a developing nation would not commit itself to specific emission reduction targets.
She welcomed 500m in assistance from the global Clean Technology Fund for clean energy, saying it would be used for energy efficiency, including solar water heaters and wind power.
The money could also be used to leverage another 1bn for low carbon initiatives. Sonjica's cautious optimism about Copenhagen was an acknowledgement of the deep differences between developed and developing countries. These are related to the view that developed countries should lead emission reductions and support developing countries' mitigation and adaptation financially, technologically and by helping to build capacity.
The Copenhagen conference aims to reach agreement on strengthening the international climate change regime beyond 2012.
Sonjica told reporters at Parliament that a fair outcome of the talks would be one that respected the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and took national and regional development priorities into account.
She said it was worrying that the biggest emitters in the developed world were not making significant commitments, with the result that the African bloc walked out of the Barcelona talks this week.
SA, like other developing countries, needed a global reduction in green house emissions to limit the undermining effect of climate change on its development.
SA and fellow African nations are insisting that developed nations discuss concrete targets for cutting emissions during the climate change negotiations in Barcelona.
Africa is the continent most vulnerable to climate change, and has the most to lose if there is no successful outcome to the talks.
"In real life, emissions are increasing rather than decreasing," said Cedric Lombardo, a member of the Ivory Coast's negotiating team.
Lombardo, was speaking to journalists in Johannesburg yesterday from Barcelona via teleconference.
"We must know what will be the accurate number of gas in the atmosphere. If we don't have a concrete number, we don't know what danger we are facing," he said.
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A very interesting and thoughtful article. The best way for Africa to help itself with GHG is to stop exporting oil and gas to the outside world. Gas that is valuable enough to ship abroad and sell should be sold at a price that is competitive enough to keep it home. Catch all of that gas, and use it for yourselves. You will then have electricity and cooking fuel both. It is maddening to see forests felled for charcoal cooking fuel while cleaner-to-use gas is being wasted. Each of your nations should try to be the last to run out of fuel. Move to solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels from wastes for your energy sources.
Other activities to fight climate change troubles include the restoration of your waterways to full functionality by clearing the weeds that clog them and the silt that they have left behind.
Just a factual correction. Nigerian LNG is not sold to Benin, Togo and Ghana. There is a gas pipeline from Nigeria to these three countries. But it does not carry LNG. It carries natural gas under pressure. Unfortunately, becuse there is insufficient gas being gathered and shipped from Nigeria, the pipeline has been empty for over a year.
In today's climate talk that's going and will be converse more in December must not be damaging to Africa. Together, Africa MUST STAND FIRMLY and get what she deserves - BETTER and LASTING AGREEMENT. That's, what is beneficial for Africa. Any negativities effects concerning our people standard of living MUST NOT be accepted by any Africa Government. The days of a/an African Live seeing as less than an insect or any other most be OVER and SHOULD NOT be negotiated in any Climate talks. Our "Africans" lives and living standard is/are as important as any other lives. Therefore, as Africans head to the climate talk in December, please open your ears, listen carefully, don't be trick, and don't accept anything lesser to solve your prombles for the betterness of your people in the whole of Africa - period !!!!! The days of damaging Africans' lives, enviroment, living conditions; the physical and metal abuses should and most all come to an end. Therefore, we "Africans" should not be conveince with their sweet tooth to accept something lesser where'in our people keep continue to suffer and die for their pleasures and the lack of consideration for Africans lives and living standards. God Bless Africa
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