The EU and other rich countries must stop their hypocritical attempts to foist emissions controls on the poor, says Director of international think-tank

Buenos Aires – Commenting today on continued attempts by the EU and other rich countries to foist emissions constraints on poor countries at the conclusion of COP-10 of the UNFCCC, IPN Executive DirectorJulian Morris said, ‘Kyoto-style restrictions will do nothing to help the poorest people of the world -- but will impose great costs on everyone. If the EU and other rich countries are serious about their commitments to the poor, they should shift their focus immediately to concrete actions, such as ending agricultural subsidies and opening their markets to trade. The hypocrisy of the EU in this matter – offering billions of dollars to poor countries in an attempt to induce them to sign up to counterproductive emissions controls, while simultaneously maintaining harmful subsidies and import restrictions – is beyond belief.’

Morris explained that The Framework Convention on Climate Change has a noble aim – to protect humanity from dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. But the Convention also makes it clear that this must be done in a way that is cost effective – ‘to ensure global benefits at lowest possible cost’ (Article 3).

But, said Morris, ‘Kyoto and similar post-2012 commitments would be hugely costly and would yield few if any benefits. By contrast, opening trade and reducing agricultural subsidies would benefit everyone. These are the kinds of issues that should have been addressed in a summit supposedly devoted to adaptation. Instead the EU side-tracked the whole debate into a discussion of post-2012 commitments.’