UN climate talks in Qatar have taken an historic turn, which could see rich nations having to compensate poor nations for losses due to climate change.
The US is fiercely opposed to the measure saying the costs could be unlimited, with the EU yet to declare a position.
Saleem ul-Huq, from the think-tank IIED, said: “This is a watershed in the talks. There is no turning back from this. It will be better for the US to realise that the principle of compensation is inevitable.”
Poorer nations are already bitter that richer nations are dragging their feet over a promise made to mobilise $100bn by 2020 to help them develop clean energy and adapt to climate change.
There’s no other way to say it, this is a stupid idea, I’m in total agreement that the richer more developed and industrialised nations should do more to develop cleaner more sustainable energy and do more to tackle climate change but compensating poorer countries for losses is too vague and too subjective.
How many nations would be entitled to compensation? How much should they be compensated? How do you judge if that’s a fair reasonable amount? Who pays what?
Todd Stern, the US chief negotiator, was heard saying: “I will block this. I will shut this down.”
I hope you do Todd because it needs to be.
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