CSD-15 ends in disagreement

Saturday, 12 May 2007

The Fifteenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15) ended late on Friday, May 11 with no agreed final text. The chair had presented a 'take it or leave it' draft, which the EU rejected.

 

CSD-15 was the culmination of a two-year 'implementation cycle' intended to discuss progress and recommend future action on energy for sustainable development, climate change, industrial development and air pollution.

 

The meeting had been fraught before it had even started. A preparatory meeting in February and March had seen publication of a 'chair's summary' that was criticised on many sides. The chair, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah of Qatar, had produced a summary that the EU said was missing much of what had been discussed and the USA said was covering issues already negotiated elsewhere.

After opening statements at CSD-15, a new chair's text was presented in the afternoon of 2 May for consideration. Delegates were given the rest of the day to consider their position.

 

On the morning of 3 May delegates met to debate the text. In an early move the G77 and China (a large regional group comprising many developing countries) requested the insertion of the words "advanced energy technologies, including fossil fuel technologies" in place of text referring to "advanced fossil fuel technologies". This proposal was backed by Canada. "Advanced energy technologies" is a phrase commonly used in UN documents to refer to nuclear energy without requiring the explicit endorsement of those countries opposing nuclear energy.

 

However, barely an hour into negotiations the G77 and China requested a suspension of the negotiations as they had been unable to find a common regional position. Initially announced as being a 20 minute suspension, this was extended to the entire day.

Over the next week more than half the sessions intended to be spent discussing energy were cancelled as the G77 and China had been unable to come to a common position. Disagreements included those between the least developed countries and oil-exporting members of Opec.

 

The G77 and China did insert text specifically referring to nuclear energy into a draft released on 9 May. This text was copied from agreed text previously negotiated at CSD-9. The text observed that some countries supported the use of nuclear energy for sustainable development, while some opposed.

 

Discussions in the sessions on climate change, air pollution and industrial development had been more fruitful, but there were still many areas of disagreement.

 

A new overall text was rumoured to be issued on 10 May, this failed to appear. Later, in one of the last drafts text to be drawn up Canada proposed inserting "nuclear" into the list of technologies following the phrase "advanced energy technologies". This was opposed by Iceland.

 

Negotiations continued until the afternoon of 11 May when the chair presented a 'take it or leave it' final version. This was rejected by the EU for being too weak. The text was also rejected by Switzerland. The text did not make specific reference to nuclear energy, although it did refer to advanced energy technologies.

 

In a statement released shortly after CSD-15 ended EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas and German environment minister Sigmar Gabriel said "The European Union deeply regrets that the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was unable to agree on an ambitious text on energy, climate, air pollution and industrial development."

 

The Commission on Sustainable Development process appears to be likely to continue in controversial circumstances as it has elected a Chair from Zimbabwe to head next year's discussions on agriculture. Francis Nheme was only confirmed in the post after winning 26-21 a secret ballot of CSD members. He will not be able to travel to the EU to meet with ministers to discuss CSD matters because of a ban on travel to the EU of members of President Robert Mugabe's government.

 

Further information

 

UN Commission on Sustainable Development 

Business Action for Energy 

 

WNA's Sustainable Energy information paper 

WNN: UN meeting on sustainable development starts