Syria Today | Syria participates in Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

Syria participates in Copenhagen Climate Change Conference

Syria’s Minister of the Environment Kawkab al-Daieh travelled to Copenhagen last month as part of a Syrian delegation at the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The conference brought together 193 countries and 130 heads of state, with the aim of issuing a new climate change agreement by the end of 2009.

Upon her arrival in Denmark, Daieh told Syria Today that Syria is suffering from the effects of climate change.

“Syria is badly affected by climate change, with phenomena such as prolonged droughts, desertification and changes in rainfall patterns,” she said.

Syria has experienced a severe drought over the past four years, with devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of rural communities.

Daieh also affirmed Syria’s commitment to the position of the so-called Group of 77 and China (G-77+China), which consists of developing nations.

“We are part of G-77+China, and we strongly support the group’s position on upholding the principles of the Kyoto Protocol,” she said.

The Kyoto Protocol formed the most contentious issue at the Copenhagen conference. Developing countries were reluctant to abandon the principles of the treaty, which puts more of the burden for emission cuts on developed countries and requires them to provide financial support for the development of clean-energy efforts in the developing world.

Industrialised nations that ratified the treaty promised to cut their collective greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. However it does not set any conditions for developing, but rapidly industrialising countries such as China, Brazil, India and South Africa.