Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen is taking his pessimism about a legally binding global climate agreement emerging from his capital Copenhagen to the Caribbean, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) starting today in Trinidad and Tobago.The meeting, which brings together Britain and its former colonies and dominions, is the last significant head of state level meeting before the Copenhagen climate summit in a week's time and has taken the theme Partnering for a More Equitable and Sustainable Future.
With climate change now one of the key agenda items, the meeting is also being attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and French president Nicolas Sarkozy, both seemingly much more intent than Rasmussen on a strong climate outcome this year.
Rasmussen's last excursion on climate, to the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum meeting in Singapore just under a fortnight ago, saw him talking up the prospects of the world just agreeing to what it could in Copenhagen and emerging with a politically binding agreement and an unclear deadline to a legal agreement.
"Is there nowhere Rasmussen will not go to lower the expectations for the international negotiations he is hosting?" asked Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's global climate campaign. "Politically binding means nothing diplomatically except an out.
"Politically binding, for instance, is the agreement reached in Bali to come to an agreed outcome in Copenhagen, to strengthen and continue the legally binding Kyoto Protocol.
"If Rasmussen wants to go for the best Copenhagen outcome rather than some lowest common denominator outcome as he has been doing, he might try holding nations to account for their politically binding commitments to do the deal in Copenhagen."
The APEC meeting drew criticism for watering down expectations from Copenhagen and deleting emissions reductions targets from its final text. It will be important to watch whether a similar dynamic develops at CHOGM, as developing and small island nations seek strong text on climate change and the need for a successful outcome from Copenhagen.
"We hope that Rasmussen will not be able to talk down the demands for a legally binding outcome from Africa and the small island states at CHOGM. We need other developed countries present, notably Britain, France and Australia to listen to the voices of the most vulnerable countries and agree to the need for a legally binding treaty framework coming out of Copenhagen."
