boilingspot: INTERVIEW-Brazil wants developing country climate targets

Developing countries should adopt emissions targets
Global deal threatened by "climate apartheid"
China "hiding behind" other developing countries

By Raymond Colitt, Reuters in ForexPros.Com, March 19 2009 14:34:15 GMT

BRASILIA, Work on a new U.N. deal on global warming is threatened by a "climate apartheid" between rich and poor countries, and emerging economies must do their part by setting emissions targets, Brazil's environment minister said.

Carlos Minc told Reuters developing countries such as Brazil, India and China should adopt targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions but that rich countries need to honor their pledges on existing climate targets and the transfer of technology and finance to poor countries.

"I'm in favor of quantifiable and measurable targets to curb emissions -- different for each (developing) country," Minc said in an interview late on Wednesday.

Poor countries have so far been exempt from meeting targets for greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate global warming and had not been expected to set targets as part of a new deal.

Brazil is seeking to be a key negotiator in talks in Copenhagen in December aimed at agreeing a new climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol after 2012.

U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer said this week countries had made no specific proposals, including financing mechanisms, for a possible agreement, calling the slow progress "worrying."

"Today there is a climate apartheid between developing and developed countries. There's very big mistrust," said Minc, wearing one the many multicolored waistcoats that have become a trademark of the co-founder of Brazil's Green Party.

Brazil, which has positioned itself as a leader of developing nations in forums such as world trade talks, was involved in talks with India and China ahead of the climate summit, Minc said.

"There's dialogue but there are also differences. China hides behind other developing countries as if it had the same emissions like Papua New Guinea -- and that won't fly," he said.

Brazil was finalizing its own target proposal, said Minc, who favors not just a cap but a reduction of emissions.

In an about-face from years of opposing targets, Brazil last year presented a plan to slash Amazon deforestation in half over 10 years and thereby avoid the release of 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Brazil Wants New Fund

Destroying forests causes large greenhouse gas emissions and has made Brazil one of the world's biggest emitters in recent years.

"We have to reduce emissions," said Minc, who replaced Marina Silva, a long-time Amazon defender, nine months ago. Silva had complained about entrenched opposition to her green agenda.

But Minc said it would be hard to convince developing countries to set emissions targets unless the industrialized world complied with targets agreed under the 2008-12 Kyoto Protocol and made technologies and financing available for poor countries to implement emissions controls.

"It's difficult for a country like China, India or even Brazil to adopt international targets when those asking them to do so aren't doing their homework," he said.

Minc suggested the creation of a single fund with contributions from rich countries that would be used to finance various projects from technology transfer, compensation for forest preservation and adaptation to climate change.

The market for carbon credits, where developing countries earn "carbon offset" if they implement projects that limit greenhouse gases was necessary but insufficient, he said.

"It covers maybe 20 percent of financing needs," said Minc, adding that an oil tax could help finance the fund. Brazil's government has sent a bill to Congress proposing such a tax.

An EU proposal this week to force industry in advanced emerging economies such as China to meet efficiency or other standards before qualifying for the right to sell carbon offsets was a step in the wrong direction, said Minc.

"It's completely out of place. Where is the moral authority for that?" Minc said.