India at COP19: Whatever Happened To Fair Play? It's Just not cricket

Submitted by theverb on Sat, 23/11/2013 - 5:18pm

By Mim DiNapoli, photo by David Tong.

It was hardly a surprise to see India walk away from the Climate Action Network booth last night with a Fossil of the Day certificate tucked under one arm. Much like their performance in last Ashes test match against Australia, another high-ranking Fossil of The Day performer, other candidates were no match for India in blocking progress in negotiations.

During Wednesday night's ADP session, India stalled discussions on equity by blocking South Africa's proposal on the equity reference framework. India also called for the cancelation of the equity workshop at the upcoming ADP session in Bonn. This move came despite only two years ago committing their allegiance to equity as a central tenant of the negotiations during climate talks in Doha.

Whatever happened to fair play?

By Mim DiNapoli, photo by David Tong.

The original of this story is from The Verb. Reproduced with permission. The Verb is a newswire service focusing on the stories that matter. They are currently reporting from COP19. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Background: Members of the Climate Action Network highlighted India's move to delete equity from the negotiating text on the Durban Platform during COP19 in this brief 3 minute youtube video

Keywords: 
climate change
India
Fossil of the Day
COP19
Geography: 
Global/International
New South Wales
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Comments

Submitted by takver on Sat, 23/11/2013 - 5:21pm

The Climate Action Network citation reads:

The first place fossil goes to India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia, and China for proposing to delete the only reference to equity in the ADP text! (And for the wonks, we mean paragraph 9 in the ADP text). Equity is key to the 2015 agreement and Parties must leave Warsaw with a clear understanding of how the ex ante review will be conducted. This includes – at a minimum - details on submissions, expert workshops, and the development of a technical paper on a basket of indicators covering: adequacy, historical responsibility, capability, and development and adaptation need). Details that are really hard to achieve if you just delete the whole paragraph. We were shocked that with all the discussions here and in Bonn, equity did not yield more than a passing reference in the first version of the ADP text. The next iteration must expand and not ‘streamline’ references to equity. To these members of the Like-Minded Group, we urge you to engage in the development of an ex ante review, rather than hovering over the delete button.

At the same Fossil of the Day event, Australia picked up it's fifth Fossil award at COP19 for impeding progress on setting up an international mechanism in loss and damage.

The second place in today’s fossil goes to Australia, who along with some other developed countries is impeding progress towards setting up an international mechanism on loss and damage here in Warsaw, as proposed by G77 and China. Trying to keep out key text elements proposed by more than 130 developing countries (such as on non-economic losses and permanent losses), delaying negotiation progress through procedural manoeuvres, and lacking a clear commitment to strong support provisions in the decision text is highly concerning. Australia is the leader of those lacking constructive spirit.

We call on the other developed countries to work seriously for the needs of the most vulnerable countries and help in establishing an effective international mechanism on loss and damage here in Warsaw.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/02/2014 - 2:32pm

We call on the other developed countries to work seriously for the needs of the most vulnerable countries and help in establishing an effective international mechanism on loss and damage here in Warsaw