This is kind of stupid. The premise is to give money away to deal, or "cope" with, problems somewhere else, sometime later. Why not just invest the same ten billion in mass transit here starting now?
Canada agrees to contribute to $10-billion climate-change fund
Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn’t budging on calls for his government to offer deeper and faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions
Steven Chase
Port of Spain — Globe and Mail Update
Published on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009 8:14PM EST
Last updated on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009 10:20PM EST
Canada has agreed to write a cheque for a $10-billion (U.S.) fund that would help poor nations cope with the consequences of climate change but Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn’t budging on calls for his government to offer deeper and faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
Leaders of Commonwealth nations representing nearly two billion people threw their weight behind a declaration in Trinidad today to seek an "operationally binding" deal on cutting greenhouse gas emissions in Copenhagen next month. They also backed the proposed Copenhagen Launch Fund, which has played a role in building support among poorer countries for a climate deal.
Mr. Harper, however, declined to respond to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call for Canada to offer "ambitious" new targets for cutting greenhouse gases in the mid-term, meaning the next 10 or 15 years.
The Prime Minister, whom environmental activists have accused of intransigence on climate change, was chided by Mr. Ban Friday when the UN leader said Canada has a responsibility as a world leader to do more.
“Many countries, developed and developing countries, have come out with ambitious targets,†the UN leader said.
“Canada is going to soon chair the G8 and therefore it is only natural that Canada should come out with ambitious mid-term targets,†he said.
Asked about Mr. Ban's comments today, Mr. Harper dodged the question, suggesting that since the UN leader likes U.S. President Barack Obama's greenhouse gas-cutting plan, by extension he must actually be happy with Canada's approach too.
"I notice that the UN secretary-general made particular praiseworthy note of targets that President Obama has laid out. Those targets are of course completely in line with the government of Canada’s policy," Mr. Harper said.
Mr. Harper said he's keen to see countries strike a detailed agreement on greenhouse gas reductions in Copenhagen next month.
But he offered no evidence that Canada is thinking of offering deeper cuts in the earlier term, as opposed to its existing targets for 2020 and 2050.
The Prime Minister suggested he had little patience for "abstract targets."
"I look forward to seeing a comprehensive agreement in Copenhagen where we will actually get on with actually reducing emissions as opposed to setting abstract targets," Mr. Harper said.
Separately, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd came to Canada's defence yesterday, saying that Mr. Harper is "fully supportive of what we have before us." He said Canada's "always had its heart in it."
The 53 Commonwealth countries meeting in Port of Spain Trinidad right now issued the Commonwealth Climate Change Declaration which includes backing for the Copenhagen Launch Fund, starting in 2010 and building to $10-billion in 2012, that would help poor countries cope with the impacts of global warming.
"We pledge our continued support to the leaders-driven process ... to deliver a comprehensive, substantial and operationally binding agreement in Copenhagen leading towards a fully legally binding outcome no later than 2010," the declaration said.
Support for the fund by wealthy countries likely encouraged many of the poorer Commonwealth countries -- that are island states or have low-lying areas – to back the 60-year-old group’s statement of support for Copenhagen.
The declaration said countries must take action to cut emissions but also acknowledge that Commonwealth leaders cannot agree on whether a theorized increase in worldwide temperatures – expected due to global warming – should be restricted to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2 degrees, above pre-industrial levels.
Canada is still cautious about a final deal in Copenhagen, suggesting work may remain following the December meeting.
On Friday, Peter Kent, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, played down the chances of an agreement in Denmark next month, telling reporters there was consensus in Port of Spain meetings that the “the odds of a deal in Copenhagen are a long shot.â€
The Commonwealth declaration demonstrates the renewed momentum for a global climate deal in Copenhagen described by French President Nicolas Sarkozy as he visited the Port of Spain talks.
“Over the last three days, things have really started to shift: we have entered into a very active negotiation phase,†Mr. Sarkozy told reporters Friday.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...0-billion-climate-change-fund/article1381653/
