"The UAE made waves at the Copenhagen climate talks yesterday by putting its name to a joint statement calling on developed countries to commit to deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
The document, which was also signed by Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Iceland, Singapore and Slovenia, is one of the strongest statements on climate change to come from an oil-producing nation.
Members of Opec, the petroleum exporters, have generally sought to downplay the issue of global warming.
......
The UAE has maintained that developing states should not be committed to obligatory emissions cuts, a position reiterated on Sunday by Dr Saad al Numeiri, one of 22 senior officials representing the UAE in Copenhagen.
As an oil-producer, the UAE would suffer economically from measures to reduce the world’s dependence on oil. But yesterday’s statement focused instead on the need to strengthen co-operation among the international community.
.......
Mari Luomi, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said the statement represented a break with tradition for the UAE. “This is a significant departure from the Opec position, which the UAE has been inadvertently supporting. It is very bold in a way,” she said.
Opec, she said, has been “very vague” on what should be the maximum permissibly level of warming. The Saudi government has insisted on financial compensation for oil revenues lost due to measures to reduce the fossil fuel consumption of developed states."
It's bewildering that the UAE would take such a stance. If a binding 'cap and trade' agreement for emissions gets endorsed by the Copenhagen conference, it may lead to declining consumption of oil world-wide.
It's a little counterintuitive for an oil-producing country to support such a move.
But it's also noteworthy that the UAE "maintained that developing states should not be committed to obligatory emissions cuts", which means that it'd only be limited to developed nations. In other words, it's business as usual for China and it'll continue to emit smoke like a chimney.
So, simply put, the final agreement will either be insignificant, or it will be stalled by developed nations.
Have a nice weekend.
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11 comments:
Also ironic coming from the country that has nearly the world's largest carbon footprint per capita.
As an objective Emirati citizen, I don't know whether to laugh, or cry at this sort of apparently exposed hypocrisy.
Why doesn't the UAE start with solar power, rather than nuclear? That saves the environment.
Why doesn't the UAE invest and create green-collar jobs?
Why doesn't the UAE provide incentives for owning an eco-friendly car? That's why people in America are interested in eco-friendly car: it saves them at the pump, and takes care of the environment.
Why doesn't the UAE formulate, and update its OWN eco-friendly standards by improving mass-transportation?
Until we do something about it, we don't have the right to urge anyone to do anything. That's plain wrong.
Pot: Meet kettle.
@ Dubai Jazz
Help, please Dubai Jazz – do you even know what you are talking about and thanks Khalood for making my day!:-) My advise for you DJ would be to take a look at the data from the just recently released International Energy Agency “CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion - Highlights” report (freely available online for download), which should give you an insight to the devastating picture that the most unsustainable country in the world displays (the one you have chosen to live in, not your home nation!) For instance per capita emissions for transport of which road in 2007 in the UAE were 5559 kg CO2 / capita (in comparison Israel: 1484 or Germany: 1807) Are you getting the picture? Why on earth are you pointing a finger at China, who has a tiny per capita emission track compared to the rest of the world and is showing serious intentions? I hate to break it to you, this is a global effort and all those responsible should pay based on per capita emissions.
Besides it would have been worthwhile to ask the question, if a 22 member committee was really necessary in light of the fact that most of these will probably not even know how to spell “climate change” and couldn’t care less about the topic in the first place. Maybe they should have send Khalood or our Princess (for shopping) instead!
wondering - in this scheme does the UAE consider itself developed or developing..
Good question - is the UAE a developed or a developing nation?
Well, the absence of democracy, lack of civil rights for expats and immigrants, the (unelected leaders') rejection of fair labour laws, the large number of state monopolies for many services, the discriminatory practices (both open and hidden) that favour locals irrespective of their (lack of) skills and utility at work ... need I go on?
I think that one is called a 'no-brainer' in colloquial parlance.
@EnglishTeacher365:
To make the mud even muddier, there is discrimination going on between locals themselves. To be honest, I really think that there aren't any intellectual advancements being accomplished, based on the reasons you've stated.
Khalood and EnglishTeacher,
I think it’s more expedient for the UAE to identify as a developing nation in the context of the climate change negotiations.
Prestige can take a backseat for the time being.
EnglishBullshitter,
Seriously I'm tired of you, how many times should I remind you of this? Your WOW and developed country's waiting for you where there are plenty of civil rights for 'you' and expats, and where there are your 'elected war criminals' who can take care for their people and don't make them need to be expats and mercenaries in the backward developping countries such as the UAE.
You're miserable indeed.
"I really think that there aren't any intellectual advancements being accomplished"
Ah, Khalid, the UAE is placing a lot of faith on you for that, that's why you have been sent 'by your government' to study abroad, to help accomplishing your 'intellectual advancements' thingy. But, instead, you have been brainwashed and want to elect a leader, wow! But don't worry, once you get back home you'll have another point of view regarding this issue and you would probably be looking for the english bullshiter to knock him down instead of agreeing with him.
Show us your smarts once you get back home and stop criticizing randomly just to impress others that you're an Emiratie who has unique and opposed views about his country. Get a grip on urself.
You too EnglishBullshiter, get a grip, then a life .. what a man!
I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Al-ain Rose, but I'm currently in the UAE on vacation, and guess what? My father and I were talking about the same topic.
If you take criticism so sensitively, then it's by all means your issue.
As for the election part, I never mentioned anything single input of 'leader' election. It shocks me knowing that our youth doesn't even know how its government operates, or what type it is, for the matter of fact. Election of members that represent them is what the 'election' part of which I spoke of. It's one of the ways that the people can get things done, rather than complaining until the matter reaches a higher office for a probable action to be taken. For a better picture: A Representative Monarchy is what I'm suggesting.
Besides, I'm very sorry if you're under the impression that I'm trying to please anyone by displaying an "Oh la la" opposing stance. I am not even trying to please anyone, so next time you see me commend one of the government's actions, it will be a mere gesture of admiration, and not a comment to please any side.
If you think that I'm going to please anyone, then you're dead wrong. When you see how other leading countries operate, it makes you wonder: Why cannot that happen in such a country like UAE?
We are a premature country; we have a lot to learn. Certainly, your given attitude isn't conducive to the learning process. Criticisms and suggestions are a mere start, and progress knows no limit.
If you are trying to move up, you gotta move up in all aspects. Intellectually; meaning that you persuade me that the current situation is a perfect one that needs not to be rectified any further. Intellectual means when you address people for who the respectively are. Intellectual is when you provide stellar credentials of proposed proposals. Intellectual is when you fix yourself even before people point it out.
For those given facts, and not other, being a puppet by either side isn't the way to go. Instead of getting things done by complaining to our leaders from increasing window tints to social security benefits.
I wonder if you read the first couple of words; however, before I mentioned anything, I said "Obecjtive" and I'm pretty sure you know what an objective person means.
Anyways, I'll be right here, working hard on improving my country, while you remain here hunting down expats for merely stating an opinion.
^ Ditto.
Khalood, I can't believe you're just 19. A lot of maturity / humility in what you say, and how say it. I know a few like you :)
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