Arti Mulchand, Straits Times 14 Dec 07;
IN BALI - POVERTY is not a solution to global warming.
That point, made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the opening of the United Nations climate change conference in Bali, clearly resonated strongly - it was echoed by many, including Norwegian Environment and International Development Minister Erik Solheim yesterday.
Economic growth is vital, PM Lee argued, and developing countries cannot go green at the expense of growth and dependence on resources such as energy and fossil fuels, a 'reality that will not change in the foreseeable future'.
It was one of three principles that he said a post-2012 climate change framework should have, the other two being the commitment and participation of all countries, with developed countries taking the lead, and the need to take into account countries' different circumstances.
Transportation hub Singapore, which is strong in manufacturing, would have a larger carbon footprint, he said, but penalising it would be 'counterproductive'.
He even got the nod from environmental campaigners, despite his endorsement of carbon capture and storage, and 'safe' nuclear energy as possible mitigating measures, which did not sit as well with them.
Said Shailendra Yashwant, climate and energy campaign manager for Greenpeace South-east Asia: 'He identifies the need for energy efficiency and conservation measures, protection of forests and reducing emission from deforestation, and calls for overall targets for emission reduction...(It) was progressive.'
Mr Alan Oxley, chairman of US-based non-governmental organisation World Growth, said Mr Lee identified 'the only real strategy that will work to achieve a global consensus'.
