By Ed King
RTCC in Doha
Talks to extend the Kyoto Protocol at the UN summit in Doha are likely to conclude with no agreement to limit the use of surplus assigned amount unit (AAUs) from the first commitment period.
Poland’s Environment Minister Marcin Korolec told RTCC the AAU issue was a “red line” for his coal-dependent country, and said there were more pressing matters to attend to in Qatar.
“AAU is the red line but I think we need to concentrate on the real things, especially if we only have days, and we have to finish negotiations like KP, LCA and Durban Platform, and not multiply issues when we can search for longer discussions, so let’s do what is achievable here and let’s start negotiations for a global agreement next year,” he said.
“We have quite intensive discussions inside the EU, and if we find European goals we will for sure find a European solution for that, and I think one of the most important lessons for the crisis is that there is no one-size fits all, and we need to be flexible enough.”
An estimated 13 billion tonnes of worth of AAUs could be left once the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is concluded.
Poland owns a large hoard, and wants these to be carried over to CP2, but campaigners say this will damage the environmental integrity of the treaty.
RTCC understands the EU is likely to cave into Polish demands in order to ensure the second commitment period (CP2) is accepted, although there may be a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ by some states not to use the units.
Poland Environment Minister Marcin Korolec from Responding to Climate Change on Vimeo.