Accord can form basis of future negotiations: PM

Clarissa Oon, Straits Times 20 Dec 09;

Copenhagen: The compromise agreement that concluded the climate change summit here is useful and can form the basis of future negotiations to address global warming, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

However, he also expressed disappointment with the fractious nature of the talks, and what he called 'sound and fury' and 'trench fighting over procedures'.

The Copenhagen Accord, a political statement rather than a legal agreement, was the product of the so-called BASIC group of countries - Brazil, America, South Africa, India and China. It remains opposed by many poorer countries and viewed with reservation by others, on the basis that it does not go far enough to tackle global warming.

World leaders including United States President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao were in Copenhagen for the critical final stage of the talks that began on Dec7.

The Singapore delegation led by PM Lee included Senior Minister S. Jayakumar and Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.

Speaking to the Singapore media, Mr Lee said the accord was 'a useful basis to take the process forward'.

'We can continue discussing, using this in order to try and reach a less imperfect arrangement,' he said.

While all countries involved had 'no illusions' that Copenhagen would yield a legally-binding deal, it was still lamentable that basic points of disagreement among the countries were not surfaced before the conference, said Mr Lee.

As a result, the 13-day talks saw gruelling, round-the-clock negotiations during which 'every inch of ground' was contested, he noted.

Many negotiators were 'not in the right frame of mind' to take considered views which were 'practically realistic, politically feasible and showing a certain vision and detachment from the immediate close-quarter combat', he said.

He noted however that climate change negotiations were by their nature difficult, and remained optimistic that discussions would continue and a more constructive agreement reached at some stage. He stressed two points:

Firstly, climate change is a problem with a very long-term horizon. To tackle it, governments have to make commitments that may show results only decades from now, which is a difficult call to make.

Secondly, perspectives on climate change differ dramatically among countries. Some are rich and already environmentally conscious, while others are still developing and do not want to compromise on future economic growth.

He singled out countries with specific climate worries, such as small island states worried about being swamped by rising sea levels.

The measures to mitigate against climate change will involve, for many countries, 'very fundamental changes' to economic structures, lifestyles and even to political systems, he said.

'So to bring all this together, into a coherent proposal and a single set of objectives (that all 192 negotiating countries can agree on), I think, is a big challenge.'

The PM and his delegation left Copenhagen yesterday.

Mr Lee is on leave from today until Dec 31. During his absence, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will be Acting Prime Minister.

Copenhagen Accord useful in taking climate talks forward: PM Lee
May Wong, Channel NewsAsia 19 Dec 09;

COPENHAGEN: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday that he is disappointed with the outcome of the United Nations climate talks, which did not produce a unanimous agreement.

But he believes the accord reached by the United States, India, Brazil, South Africa and China serves as a useful basis for countries to take the negotiation process forward.

Speaking to the Singapore media at the end of the climate conference in Copenhagen, Mr Lee said: "I don't think it's a happy outcome. We're disappointed, but it's not the end of the world. The discussions will continue and at some stage, we'll be able to reach a more constructive agreement.

"We think it's a useful basis to take the process forward and we hope that it will not be cast aside. If it's not adopted this time, we can continue discussing, using this in order to try and reach a less imperfect arrangement."

For Singapore, it is doing its part by pledging to reduce emissions growth by 16 per cent below the level projected by 2020 – provided that there is a global agreement, and that other countries announce significant emissions reduction targets.

Even though there is no global deal now, Mr Lee said Singapore will continue to work on measures to cut its emissions growth.

He said: "Whether we get there or not depends on whether there will be an agreement. If there's no agreement, we're not obliged to hit the 16 per cent target. But we have a sustainable development blueprint which is 7 to 11 per cent target. So that part, we'll do regardless, but we must make sure that having done that, if there's subsequently a deal, we get credit for our merit.

"To reach 16 per cent, we'll have to take new measures. We have to consider what this will be and there'll be regulations. For example, energy efficiency standards may be necessary. There may be other requirements from building insulation, air-conditioning, green marks, platinum, so on and so forth, there may have to be fiscal measures.

"If you look at countries which are contemplating this problem, either they've gone for cap and trade, or they've gone for some kind of carbon tax, or at least they're thinking about that.

"We have to contemplate that and if we do, then we also have to have incentives and countervailing, balancing measures to buffer the impact so that households, companies, the economy do not bear disproportionate share of the burden."

Singapore has an interest in having a good outcome for an international climate agreement because it is a small and vulnerable city-state.

But Mr Lee conceded that reaching an agreement will be very difficult and that it is a big challenge to come up with a coherent proposal, with a single set of objectives, to move forward.

- CNA/so