Cement, Energy and Environment

I t ...... I Climate Change & Global Warming INTERNATIONALCLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS– MEXICO'S VIEWS IN PREPARATION FOR COP 16[CANCUN] K K Roy Chowdhury, Technical Associate, CMA, Noida The global climate change negotiations are held every year under the auspices of the United Nations framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) to advance the international policy dialogue on climate change. This year, the climate change megotiations, the sixteenth Conference of the Parties(COP 16) will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 to December 10, 2010. India is a key player in these climate change negotiations. In this connection, Her Excellency Ms Patricia Espinosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico and Chairperson, 16th Conference of the Parties(COP 16) to UNFCCC came to India and had interactions with various stakeholders on the negotiation process in New Delhi on August 16, 2010 to understand their views as well as their expectations from the forthcoming COP 16 in Cancun. The interactive session provided an insight into Mexico's views on the negotiations as host country for COP 16 in the backdrop of India's position on the issue, and impressed upon the common expectations the two countries have had from the international climate change negotiations to meet their respective goals. It may be mentioned here that India's emissions have declined significantly, with GOP growth rate at 8 - 9% and primary energy growth rate at 3.7% per year of GOP. India's GHG intensity is currently 20% lower than the world average. For Indian industries' transition to Clean Technology and Clean Energy Sources, there should be enabling framework that helps industries to recover the costs of investments and address the issue of scale etc. Transfer of Technology and Finance are the key elements of mitigation and adaptation that need to be addressed appropriately. We therefore need a clear-cut direction to the Kyoto Protocol. The market-based mechanisms for mitigation should be strengthened. Also, Indian industries are a heterogeneous mix and hence sectoral benchmarking/ targets are an infeasible proposition for Indian industries in global GHG emission reduction. Her Excellency Ms Patricia Espinosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico and Chairperson, 16th Conference of the Parties(COP 16) to UNFCCC is a seasoned Diplomat. She justified the decision of Mexico in entrusting her with the Chairpersonship of next CoP 16 to UNFCCC as arising out of the turning point in international climate change negotiations observed in Copenhagen last December that now needs political impetus for a comprehensive climate treaty. In her structured presentation, she dwelt upon three issues: i) Development and climate change, ii) Working together for a global agreement, iii) Status of the negotiations. Salient features from her deliberations are outlined below: i. The private sectors of Mexico and India have received benefits of global action, for example through the COM projects. However, we need to make this system more agile, reducing transaction costs, and ensuring if is accessible to more countries and sectors, and to projects of a smaller scale. ii. Immediate action on climate change is important. iii. The private sector can greatly contribute to a global agreement by providing technical expertise, sharing best practices, and identifying the key issues; underlining the importance of construction of a broad and balanced agreement, and supporting the negotiation process; and acting alongside the public sector, in a naturally reinforcing manner. iv. Private sector representatives have expressed the need for clearer long-term emissions, commitments from governments; guranteed national and international public support for technological research, development and diffusion(RD & D) on adaptation and mitigation; commitment to an agenda on energy efficiency, including through new policy instruments such as energy efficiency certificates; commitment to market mechanisms and to a more accessible COM; clear and practical national and international measurement, report and verification(MRV) mechanisms for mitigation efforts. v. Areas of progress in negotiations noted are: a. ADAPTATION. Broad recognition that actions in developing countries 37