Singapore will “voluntary and domestically funded action to reduce its emissions growth to 16 per cent below ‘business as usual’ levels by 2020”.
This is a move to be applauded, not because of the numbers but because of its commitment to responsible growth.
Nevertheless, “Singapore will only commit to this if there is a legally binding global deal that obliges all countries to cut emissions, and if other countries offer significant pledges”. Its back to the tussle on how much developing and developed countries should reduce/sacrifice in that process.
With the rejected carbon laws in Australia and China, India, Brazil and South Am rejecting the “key targets proposed by the Danish climate talks hosts in a draft text”, Cop-15 is going to start at a trying level indeed.
Regardless of the outcome, I feel that the Cop-15 has managed to exert international pressures on countries to rethink and re-look their growth plans and taking into consideration the negative externalities such as negative environmental impacts.
Of course, I still look forward to SMART objectives or legally binding global deal that should confer more responsibility on the developed nations as they have already achieved economic development at the sacrifice of their natural environment.
