May Wong, Channel NewsAsia 16 Dec 09;
COPENHAGEN: Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said on Tuesday there should be flexibility on what countries should commit to when tackling climate change, in order to reach a common ground.
Speaking to the Singapore media on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, he said although some reports have said the conference may end up in a serious deadlock, it is not time to give up on the negotiations.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is expected to attend the conference on Thursday.
Ministers and senior officials have been engaged in long discussions to try and reach an agreement to curb global warming. But things have not been easy as there have been disagreements on what developed nations and developing nations should do.
Despite the disagreements, Dr Yaacob believes the negotiation process is inching forward.
"I wouldn't give up at this point in time. I think there is an urgency that we have to do something. Even during the consultation, some countries were prepared to give in... they're conceding - not much but they're saying, 'Ok, let's consider that'," he said.
"So we've reported the positions of the various countries and they would use our consultation material as the inputs towards the process. The idea is to at least have a document ready by tomorrow before the leaders arrive for the high-level segment."
On Singapore's aim to cut carbon-emissions growth by 16 per cent, below the projected 2020 levels, Dr Yaacob said many countries see that as a good effort.
He said: "They acknowledged the fact that Singapore is willing to put on the table what we're prepared to do and we're doing it unilaterally. Some have acknowledged it, some have asked if we're prepared to do more and as usual, I think the comments are positive rather than negative."
With world leaders already starting to arrive here in Copenhagen, the aim is to provide these decision-makers with a politically binding agreement on climate change, with the mandate that negotiations will continue over the next six or 12 months.
- CNA/so
PM Lee heads to UN Climate Change talks in Copenhagen, says MFA
S.Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia 16 Dec 09;
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 17 and 18.
This is at the invitation of the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Mr Lee will also have bilateral meetings with other Heads of Government and Heads of State on the sidelines of the Summit.
Singapore's delegation includes Senior Minister Prof S Jayakumar, Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, and other ministry officials. - CNA/vm
PM Lee joins in today
Chuang Peck Ming, Business Times 17 Dec 09;
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong is due to arrive here today to join some 116 other presidents and prime ministers in an unprecedented gathering of leaders to hammer out a deal on curbing global warming.
A brief statement issued yesterday by Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that besides taking part in the two-day leaders' summit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference at Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen's invitation, Mr Lee will also have bilateral meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
The Singapore delegation to the conference also includes Senior Minister/Coordinating Minister for National Security S Jayakumar, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim and officials from ministries.
Singapore has pledged to cut carbon pollution by 16 per cent against projected business-as-usual levels by 2020. This 'stretch target' is based on the level of greenhouse gas emissions that Singapore would produce by 2020 if no proactive measures were taken, but relies on a legal deal being reached in Copenhagen.
