Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka spelled out Sri Lanka’s position on Climate Change with the Conference of Parties or COP 15 United Nations Climate Change Conference on December 7 in Copenhagen, Denmark, at a hurriedly organized press conference last week.

Despite more than 30,000 scientists, scholars and journalists would be attending to Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, none of the full time environmental journalists would represent Sri Lanka.

Journalists expressed concern about none of the full time journalists being taken to Copenhagen. Ranawaka while appreciating the services of environmental journalists, said that due to financial constraints journalists could not be accommodated.

However, he said that he strongly believes that representation of journalists is of paramount importance and would take measures to take journalists for such conferences.

Coming back to Copenhagen, he said the focus would be on Emission Reduction Targets for Annex 1(industrialized nations) countries, Adaptation, Mitigation, Technology Transfer, Capacity Building, Financial Mechanism and REDD-Plus.

Speaking on Emission Reduction Targets for Annex 1 Countries, he said deep emission cuts by all Annex 1 country parties in accordance with their historical responsibilities, as well as the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, and realistic changes in emission patterns were urgently required to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system and achieve the ultimate objective of the convention.

"Therefore, we proposed that Annex 1 countries should reduce their domestic GHG –Green House Gas- emission by at least 49 per cent below 1990 levels in the second commitment period. Their total emission reduction was determined by applying the principle of historical responsibility, debt and addressing the needs of developing countries," he added.

He said on Adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change is an urgent need here. Efforts of adaptation of developing countries like us without proper financing mechanism would not be successful in the long term. Adaptation fund under Kyoto protocol would not be sufficient to meet the needs of adaptation in developing countries. "Therefore, we proposed an Adaptation fund under the convention with adequate funds to maintain this fund at a sustainable level Annex I countries need to contribute at least 1 per cent of the GDP –Gross Domestic Product.

Mitigation

According to the Bali Action plan under UNFCCC all developed country parties, although they are not the party to the Kyoto protocol, have to take emission reduction commitments.

All developed countries should contribute to global efforts by reducing their emissions significantly and should achieve their quantified emission limitation and reductions primarily through domestic emission reduction efforts. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions can be undertaken by developing countries and it will purely depending on the effective provision of financial, technological and capacity-building support by develop country parties.

Technology Transfer

The technological support for both mitigation and adaptation should mainly focus on knowledge transfer and capacity building. It is strongly suggested to build in with traditional knowledge of the country.

Capacity Building

Capacity building support is needed to enhance the capacities to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and undertake nationally appropriate mitigation actions and it should be consistent with national priorities and circumstances.

Financial Mechanism

Adequate, predictable and sustained level of financial resources on grant basis for adaptation, mitigation including transfer of technology is essential for developing countries, and it should be an additional to Official Development Assistance –ODA- targets. Apart from the very small adaptation fund under the Kyoto Protocol it is very important to built a climate change fund to address needs of the developing countries.

REDD- Plus

Sri Lanka would support REDD-Plus activities, which are country driven and voluntary. These activities are subjected to adequate predictable and sustainable financing and technological support. Indigenous people and local communities should be involved in implementation of REDD plus activities.

Sri Lanka joining Small Island Developing States –SIDS-

Ranawaka said Sri Lanka is a party to a large number of international conventions including United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. Most countries who are parties to these international conventions meet in groups to deliberate issues, and accordingly are in a strong position during the negotiations.

"We are a developing country and belongs to the group of G77 and China G77 + China as a larger group, their priorities are different. Therefore it is very difficult to bring into the common agenda," he added.

SIDS was initiated at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit / Rio Conference) in June 1992. SIDS comprised with distinct group of developing low lying coastal countries and is a group of countries that are very vulnerable to climate change, even though their contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is minimal.

The Global Conference on Sustainable Development of SIDS was held in 1994 at Barbados. Declaration of Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) for SIDS was adopted by this conference. The BPOA was formulated as a blue print for action on sustainable development that should be undertaken by SIDS with the cooperation and assistance of the international community.

According to the part one of the Declaration of Barbados, main uniqueness and challenges of SIDS are given below by following table & Annex 01.

The report of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of SIDS reaffirmed the challenges of small islands that recognized in the Agenda 21. Main challenges of Small Island can be summarized into few categories;

a. Climate Change

b. Natural Hazards

c. Influence of international trade

d. Limited resources

e. Growing population

f. Fragile economy (Agriculture based)

g. Concentration of human activities into low- lying coastal areas.

The United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs lists 52 small island developing states at present. These states have divided into three geographical regions as;

1. The Caribbean

2. The Pacific

3. Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea ( AIMS)

SIDS members face similar sustainable development challenges and pledge to share experiences and resources required for sustainable development. Socio economic, environmental and other issues that hinder the development process of island of Sri Lanka are similar to SIDS members. Therefore, Sri Lanka fits with the Barbados declaration adopted by SIDS, he added.

Due reputation of the international community on SIDS was established at its birth. Therefore, the voice of the SIDS will be sound to obtain international attention. And also, the resources required to solve many problems related to climate change have already accumulated around the SIDS. It seems that SIDS has already success in many steps of achieving its goal. This background would benefit Sri Lanka if join with SIDS in several ways as follows,

1. Can analysis the challenges of Sustainable Development of Sri Lanka through the light of climate change impacts

2. Impacts and issues of climate change particularly to Sri Lanka can be recognized

3. International experience of climate change particularly to SIDS can be shared.