Ecuador takes an innovative proposal to Durban

Sally Burch

26/11/2011

Opinión

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Ecuador is preparing to take a proactive role in the climate change negotiations, when the next round starts in Durban, South Africa, on November 28. The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will run until December 9, is considered the last opportunity for world governments to agree on a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol (KP), whose first term will end in 2012.

One of the major proposals that Ecuador will take to Durban is recognition of the concept of Net Avoided Emissions (NAE). This concept arose with the Yasuní-ITT Initiative, under which Ecuador proposes to leave 846 million barrels of oil in the ground in the ITT - Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha -oil field, much of which is located in the Yasuni National Park, an area of mega-biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, declared World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. In return, the government is asking for compensation equivalent to 50% of the revenue that would result from the sale of the oil, ie about 7 billion dollars over a period of 13 years, which should come mostly from developed countries.

"The Yasuní is a global asset. It benefits the entire planet, not only Ecuador." Whereas "oil is a private good" that will only benefit the country, said President Rafael Correa, in a meeting with the foreign press. However, some countries have questioned whether "non action" can be compensated. Correa contends that the concept of NAE is fully consistent with economic logic and the logic of the KP, but it goes further, since, unlike mechanisms such as the carbon bonds market, it does not imply first polluting and then decontaminating. Therefore it is more environmentally friendly, as was recognized by Miguel d'Escoto, ex-president of the UN, who considered the Yasuni-ITT initiative "the most important and concrete proposal for moving from rhetoric to deeds" in the struggle for the environment, according to Correa.

The current system of the Protocol, however, does not contemplate preventive actions or non action. Ecuador’s Minister Coordinator of Heritage, María Fernanda Espinosa, chief negotiator of the Ecuadorian delegation to Durban, said in an interview with ALAI that if the NAE achieves recognition as part of the protocol, it would allow for establishing various options of what can be compensated. The NAE would apply to "developing countries that are highly dependent on a resource for their economy, that take a unilateral voluntary decision not to undertake a specific activity, so as to reduce their emissions. And in return for that decision, a certification process would ensure that is indeed the case, and establish a mechanism for financial compensation for the omitted activity." It could be applied not only to oil, but also, for example, to a country that chose not to expand its agricultural frontier, which is perhaps the greatest threat to forests.

The Yasuni-ITT initiative was first proposed by Ecuador's environmental movement, and was then taken up by the government, at first with little conviction, but recently much more energetically. A "Plan B" (or a possible "Plan C") has not yet been ruled out, which could mean oil extraction in at least part of the ITT field. Correa says that in that case it would be exploited mainly in the area outside the Park, or by horizontal drilling underground. He has set a December deadline to collect at least US$ 100 million, before taking the decision. So far the Fund has gathered $70 million, according to Correa, coming to a large extent from civil society contributions from different countries worldwide.

Hot issues

Topping the list of Ecuador’s priorities for Durban, according to Minister Espinosa, is achieving an agreement to prolong the Kyoto Protocol. She admits that this is no easy task, since there are countries reluctant to sign on; moreover, the U.S. never ratified the first Protocol. However, she considers it inevitable, because "the political cost of not having a second commitment period is too high. It is very difficult for Europe that has already committed to its public opinion to renew the second commitment period, to now say it’s not going to do so." Espinosa recognizes that perhaps what will result is an agreement that some countries do not adhere to, in which case, she says: "Those countries that do not want to renew their commitments should not be able to use the mechanisms proposed by the Protocol, such as the clean development mechanism". That would be unacceptable.

Another key issue is the Green Fund for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in southern countries, on which progress has been made in recent months, but obstacles remain. "The main obstacle is the issue of governance of the Fund. The proposal of Ecuador and many developing countries is that Fund management cannot be handed over to the multilateral banks. That already happened with the GEF (Global Environmental Facility) where the banks control the funds for sustainable development and it is they who decide what the priorities are and what to fund or not fund on a discretionary basis; also not all countries can participate in GEF decision-making... We are insisting that the administration of this fund must be under the control of the Convention," Espinosa declared.

Nor is there agreement about the origin of funds. "Countries like the U.S. have insisted that as there is a crisis, the funds must come mainly from the private sector. We do not exclude private funds ... But the core of the Fund must come from public sources because they have to be predictable, they have to imply a medium and long term commitment, and they also have to be verifiable”, the minister insists. “Everyone talks about verification and monitoring mechanisms to see if developing countries fulfill our commitments to mitigation. We are asking that the mechanisms of monitoring and verification also apply to funds, to see where they come from, how they come and how they are invested." In fact, at COP15 in Copenhagen, developed countries, those known as "Annex 1", pledged a total initial disbursement of 30 billion dollars until 2012. Of this amount, less than 20% has actually been delivered.

Another high priority for Ecuador is technology transfer, on which they propose a relaxation of intellectual property rules when it comes to low-carbon technologies for developing countries. The proposal faces resistance from the countries owning the technology.

Moreover, a critical issue is the treatment of climate refugees, whose existence is not even recognized by many countries. Some studies estimate that, in coming years, there will be at least 100 million climate refugees around the world. "What are the rights of these refugees? What are the mechanisms for climate justice that apply in these cases? And also what are the commitments of those governments responsible for the greatest amount of emissions, in the care of climate refugees?", the Minister asks.

As for the program of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), while the framework was adopted at COP16 in Cancun (where Ecuador co-facilitated the negotiations), the implementation mechanisms and resources still need to be defined in Durban. "Ecuador's position is that REDD cannot go forward without the financial mechanisms that allow for progress on this," says Espinosa. She does not share the criticism of social groups who believe that REDD will mean giving companies a license to continue polluting, or that it implies commodifying the way of life of indigenous peoples: "We think it is enormously important and interesting for countries with high forest cover such as Ecuador and other countries similar to ours," she emphasizes. But she acknowledges that it is essential to ensure safeguards. In this regard, she welcomes the proposal of the Coordination of Amazonian Indigenous Organizations - COICA to negotiate land rights, previous consultation and the rejection of monocultures. (These have been put forward by COICA as part of their proposal for an "indigenous REDD".)

In terms of partnerships for COP17, Ecuador is part of the agreement drawn up by ALBA and will work within the G77 and China (which includes 135 countries). They consider that agreements should be made by consensus, that is, not necessarily unanimously, but by the voice of the vast majority –which in this case are the developing countries.

https://www.alainet.org/es/node/154282