In praise of Senor Jose Manuel Barroso

After showing EE’s appreciation and admiration for the present U.N.Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, another world figure has come out with a dire warning at the outcome of carbon emissions i.e., global warming. He is no less a personage than Senor Jose Manuel Barroso, Hon’ble President of the European Union.

He has expressed his apprehensions concerning the forthcoming climate conference in Copenhagen. He is particularly concerned about the ‘business as usual attitude’ of those countries that looks on with folded hands as carbon emissions on a massive scale warms Mother Earth and bring about catastrophic climate change. Judging from past experience, the politicians at the summit will stick to their positions without an iota of change.
Senor Barroso rightly foresees a split between the developing and developed countries resulting from what he termed ‘acrimonious collapse.’ He exhorts the concerned countries to emulate the European example and to put ‘offers on the table, offers at the outer limits of our political constraints.’ He suggests that ‘all developed countries clarify their plans on mid term emissions reductions and show the necessary leadership, not least because of our responsibilities for past emissions.’

The present goal is an 80% reduction of carbon emissions by 2050. To achieve these, developed countries should limit such emissions of 20-40% on a collective basis by 2020. He assures us that E.U is willing to go from 20 to 30% if other countries make similar efforts. At the same time the developed countries ‘have to pay a significant part in helping to finance mitigation and adaptation action by developing countries.’ He goes on to state that the biggest share of this help ‘should come from the carbon market, if we have the courage to set up an ambitious global scheme.’

He is of the opinion that the advanced developed countries should finance part of these themselves. These countries should put forward their proposals as to how far they will go in mitigating carbon emissions. Senor Barroso is aware that these countries have already taken measures to limit the growth of their carbon emissions but these are not enough and ‘there is a need to step up such efforts, especially by the ‘most advanced developing countries.’

He considers ‘Copenhagen is a critical occasion to shift, collectively onto an emissions trajectory that keeps global warming below 2 degrees C.’ He concludes with the remark that ‘the fight back’ should begin at the G8 summit in New York.

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