Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, spokesperson for the Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust, a grouping of most vulnerable countries, has described carbon emissions from developed countries as a new form of terrorism. He was speaking at a COP17 press briefing today.
He said his organisation is concerned about developed countries that want to withdraw from the Kyoto protocol, the only legally binding instrument available to address issues on carbon emissions.
Chowdhury accused industrialised countries that have high carbon emission rates, of attempting to drag out negotiations till 2020. “Agreeing to any delay, according to scientific assessments, means more deaths and destruction around the globe”.
He said world leaders had committed themselves to concluding climate negotiations by 2009. But the main cause of climate change he said has not been addressed. He added that they have failed to produce a legally binding outcome that would ensure a climate safe future.
Also speaking at the press briefing, Dr. Ahsan Uddin Ahmed from Bangladesh said the representatives of the global community in Durban expect world leaders to agree to ensure that the rise in average temperatures would be limited to two degree Celsius.
“Retaining the goal to keep the rise in temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius over 1990 levels allows most vulnerable countries to reduce their vulnerability by quickly mobilising adaptation finances and implementing adaptation measures”.
He added that the current negotiations aimed at delaying the overall outcome will not help. “We must understand people are dying, we must realise we cannot allow such massive killing to continue”.
– By Effa Tambenkongho, Reporting DNA
