APEC reached to 'Sidney Declaration' to fight climatic change

Sep 10: The 21-membered Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC) in Sidney, concluded on Sunday. APEC member reached to an agreement on tackling climate change called ‘Sidney Declaration’.

This is seen as a success story for bringing the giants to agree for the declaration, as Bush Government has earlier refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, treaty to set targets for Green House Gas reductions. US, Russia, Japan and China are the largest emitter of the world.

It would also mark a victory for Australia and the U.S, as they have tried to convince developing nation to take measure for reducing the emission. Being a developing country, China was exempted from cutting the emissions of the gas till 2012.

U.S. President George Bush backed the ‘Sidney Declaration’ to Kyoto that would push new technologies and more nuclear energy as a way to fight climate change and allow countries to set their own GHG reduction targets.

Endorsement of the declaration can mark a major event to fight the climatic changes all over the World.

But this much talked ‘Sidney Declaration’ was dismissed by the environment groups as a failure and Greenpeace described as laughable.

Abigail Jabines, Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, said in a statement that the so-called Sydney Declaration “distracts from the real solutions and ignores the aspirations of the millions of victims of climate change in developing countries.”

The environmentalist also a complaint of the target being aspirational and it is on the member of the APEC countries to ratify it or reject it that is declaration is not binding to the member nations. Moreover Bush departure a day ahead of the scheduled time is as lack of seriousness on his part.

APEC was established in 1989, to increase cooperation among the countries of Asia Pacific Rim. APEC is committed to achieve the Bogor Goals of free and open trade declared in 1994.

APEC now comprises 21 member economies: United States, Australia, China, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

There are three official observers of APEC are the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), and the South Pacific Forum (SPF).

Other then energy security and clean development, Doha negotiation under WTO for liberalization of trade policies, economic development and regional security were discussed.