Climate Change underway in Doha

About 17,000 delegates expected to attend the latest round of the
climate talks, with carbon permits high on the agenda.
The 18th United Nations climate change conference, known as COP18, has
opened in Doha, the Qatari capital.
Over the next two weeks, up to 17,000 people will attend the
conference. Delegates will be negotiating a new global deal on
climate, but there are ongoing tensions between rich and poor
countries.
The meeting elected the former Qatari energy
minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, as president of the Conference
of the Parties.
In his opening remarks he said the meeting was "critical" and a
"golden opportunity" to make progress on a new global climate deal.
"This is an historic conference," said Attiyah, "it is of vital
importance considering the items on its agenda.
It is a turning point in the negotiations on climate change."
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South African foreign minister, officially
handed over the COP presidency to Attiyah, Qatar's deputy prime
minister at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha.
After brief speeches by both, Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC executive
secretary, pointed out the "unique" location of this year's COP.
"Each COP is unique - and this is no exception," she said.
"This is the first time the COP is being held in the Gulf region. On
this historic occasion, the region has an unequaled world stage to
showcase the contributions being made to reduce the Gulf's food and
water vulnerabilities, to put regional energy growth on a more
sustainable path and to build a safer, stronger and more resilient
energy future for all countries."
Carbon permits
A central issue at the summit is the problem of "hot air" carbon permits.
The term refers to attempts by some wealthy
countries to carry over unused carbon permits so they can be offset
against future cuts.
Developing nations say this is unfair and reduces the value of any
commitment to reduce carbon dioxide.
In one of the summit's first announcements,
Australia said it will aim to cut its emissions by 0.5 per cent from
1990 levels by 2020 in a second commitment period of the Kyoto
Protocol.
A Nauru delegate, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island
States - a group representing 44 mostly low-lying countries
particularly vulnerable to climate change - called for greater
ambition for a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which
binds many developed countries to make emissions cuts.
"This conference is about nothing less than
preserving the fundamental integrity of the climate change regime,"
she said, "and that must begin with a strong second commitment period
under the Kyoto Protocol.
"If developed countries cannot live up to their current obligations,
how can we have any confidence in a future agreement?"
Nauru also called for stronger commitments from developed countries to
help developing countries finance ways to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions.
Currently, developed countries have pledged to provide $100bn a year
for adaptation and mitigation measures for developing countries by
2020.
As Qatar welcomes world leaders to the conference, its own
environmental record has come under criticism as a major contributor
to greenhouse gases.
Spotlight on polluters
The climate talks have placed a spotlight on Qatar, which produces
nearly 50 tonnes a year of carbon dioxide for each of its 1.6 million
residents.
Jamie Henn, co-founder of the environment group 350.org, pointed out
that Qatar had set some goals, including the plan to use 20 per cent
renewable energy by 2024. Still, he said, the host country could do
more.
"We are fully aware of the perils the world is facing as a result of
climate change," Attiyah, who is also a former Qatari petroleum
minister, said.
"We hope the conference will produce tangible
results and reinforce international cooperation."
Qatar "is also one of the 10 developing countries predicted to be most
affected by rising sea levels", Attiyah said.
"Environmental sustainability is a key pillar of our national vision," he said.
In terms of volume, China remains the top emitter with more than eight
billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year - an increase of 171 per
cent since 2000.
China is followed by the US, which produces over five billion tonnes
annually, although its emissions have fallen since 2007.
In third place is India. Its economic boom has made it the third worst
polluter, pumping out nearly two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a
year.
And then there is Russia, producing around 1.6bn tonnes of emissions every year.