Yesterday ECO asked the question every journalist watching these talks wants answered: will countries in the Arab Gulf commit to change course to a greener future here in Doha? So far just one country has given an answer. Lebanon has said that they are striving to submit a supported NAMA. ECO strives with them.
To most people in the real world outside the climate change negotiations, the acid test for success in Doha is whether the outcome will include any further emissions cuts beyond those pledged three years ago in Copenhagen. That is, any action that will actually help us to tackle our ballooning global greenhouse gas emissions.
But when negotiations on this issue finally began on Friday, delegates talked more about what mitigation actions others must take, rather than what they must do.
At least Lebanon seems to have read the script for this COP. It’s time for other countries, including those in the Arab region, to learn their lines. They should recognise their vulnerability to climate change impacts, announce a pledge and show they are ready to be major players in these talks.
That would be something these talks can be remembered for, even after the circus has left town. It would boost trust and put the spotlight back on the developed countries for their lowly pledges. The ball would be smashed back into the developed country court. With top-spin.
What Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Oman and Bahrain should be doing right now is preparing their set of planned emissions reducing actions into formal submissions that would go into an INF doc, namely FCCC/SB/2011/INF.1. We hope that Lebanon and other Arab countries do so too. All it would take is for them to bring their voluntary nationally planned actions into a formal document in the international process.
In case they need some hints, ECO has prepared a helpful crib sheet of national actions that can easily become NAMAs, including:
- Saudi Arabia’s 7-10% RE target by 2020 (30% by 2030)
- the UAE’s 7% and 5% targets for Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively
- Qatar’s 10% 2030 RE target
- Kuwait’s and Oman’s respective 10% RE by 2020 target and
- Bahrain’s 5% by 2030 RE target
That goes for other developing countries as well, especially those with greater capacities. All countries are vulnerable to the impacts of a 4C world – which is where we are heading unless and until new and higher emissions pledges are announced – and every country must do something in the fight against climate change.
Many have been sceptical as to why the highest emitter per capita on the planet wanted to host this COP. The scepticism is yet to fade, but there is still time to help stop this COP becoming a flop. The script for COP 18 can yet have a happier ending, if Arab Gulf ministers jointly announce and pledge some NAMAs.