The UN-sponsored Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen heard voices of concern and complaint on the second day, as delegates of Bangladesh and Nepal said they were disappointed that a draft of potential treaty on climate framed by the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) group does not address the main concerns of the poor and the least developed countries.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury, leader of the Bangladesh parliament delegation to COP15, stressed the “need to talk a lot more on this.”

Another delegation member, Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, said that most of the countries under the G77 group of developing nations oppose the BASIC draft, which only protects the interests of the four nations that drafted it.

At a press conference at the Danish capital Tuesday, Bangladesh’s State Minister of Environment and Forest Hasan Mahmud demanded that at least 15 percent of any climate fund should be allotted to that South Asian country, as it is “the most vulnerable country in the world to climate change.”

He also said Bangladesh would press for a $600 billion annual fund from the developed nations that are mostly responsible for the higher carbon emissions to help poor countries, which suffer the most from the side-effects of climate change.

Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, a leading economist in the Bangladesh negotiation team, told reporters that “We are not begging any mercy from anyone. Rather we want justice as the worst victim of climate change.”
Bangladesh is one of the poor nations worried that they will not get enough fund to help them adapt to climate change.

Bangladesh Environment Deputy Secretary S.M. Munjurul Hannan Khan says “There is nothing specifically mentioned for addressing adaptation issue.”

Speaking at the opening of the 12-day conference Monday, UN’s top Climate Change official Yvo de Boer specifically outlined the danger faced by Bangladesh and small island countries of being submerged due to rising sea levels.

It is feared that if sea levels rise by one meter, at least 15 per cent of the total population of Bangladesh would be displaced. An even worse situation is awaiting about 20 million people in that country if the glaciers on the Himalayas melt due to global warming.

Bangladesh and Nepal have already warned that the poorest developing countries will block any deal that does not include a long-term fund to help them face the consequences of adopting carbon emission cuts.

Speaking last month at the Copenhagen Commitment Circle, a platform of world leaders formed ahead of the UN conference, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged rich nations to help climate-vulnerable nations in the same way they bailed out economies damaged by the global recession.
De Boer, who is also in charge of the negotiations, reported “encouraging” progress on agreeing on a $10 billion a year emergency fund to help poor countries. The United States, Australia, Japan and the EU have all supported it.

In the background of intense global interest heightened by the sense that this is an opportunity for the world to deal decisively with the causes and effects of climate change, delegates from 192 countries have gathered in the Danish capital.

Several grueling rounds of talks by delegates will culminate when around 100 leaders join them on December 18, supposedly to sign a new pact to tackle greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol’s requirements expire in two years.
Determining how much affluent countries including EU members, Japan, the U.S. and Australia should reduce emissions is a point of hot contention. Other potential roadblocks include limits on discharges by emerging economies such as China and India and climate aid for the poorest countries.

China Monday called anew developed nations to provide funding to help poorer countries fight climate change.

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Copenhagen

Tags: Bangladesh, GLobal Warming

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