No takers for paper on Cancun round-1

CANCUN: The facilitating text put forward by the chair of the ad hoc working group on long-term cooperative action, or the Bali track of the negotiations, did not find favour with any of the countries as a possible negotiating text, though the only country that spoke out against the text was Bolivia. The text, which outlines key elements that could possibly be part of the “balanced” outcome being aimed at in Cancun, was presented at the plenary on Saturday , at the end of a week of negotiations .

One of the primary reasons why there were reservations about the text was a lack of balance . There is a lot of detail about areas like technology, adaptation and forestry, but on key issues like mitigation, especially monitoring (measuring , reporting and verification /international consultation and analysis) and finance, details are scant. “There is no balance. The number of pages devoted to technology, forestry and adaptation is far more than on key issues like MRV/ICA,” said a senior Indian negotiator. This is surprising giving the emphasis that has been put on monitoring and transparency issues by most countries during the negotiations.

A senior climate negotiations expert said the text has not reached a decision point, especially on mitigation. “The ideas have not been fleshed out properly to allow ministers to take a political decision on the text.”

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh’s proposal for international consultation and analysis, which has been the subject of discussion at Cancun , has also not been incooperated properly in the text.

Prepared under the responsibility of the chair, the text does not have formal status in the negotiations and is meant only to help negotiators take the talks forward. It is drawn up in consultation with facilitators and seeks to put together the progress made in the first week of negotiations.

The imbalance within the text is most visible in the section on mitigation. The differentiation between developed and developing countries is not evident. The suggestions for monitoring of mitigation efforts for industrialised and developing countries are more or less similar in terms of options. The principle of differentiation that is central to the convention was not adhered to.