Singapore, Dec 4 (DPA) Six small countries from different continents, including Costa Rica, Iceland and Singapore, Friday pledged to a work for a successful outcome of the crucial Copenhagen climate change talks next week, adding that developing island states needed support to fight the existential threat from rising sea levels.
In a joint statement published by Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper, the foreign ministers of Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Iceland, Singapore, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates said that “a successful agreement in Copenhagen, with deep cuts in global emissions … is of paramount importance”.
That agreement should take into account “the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, respective resources and national circumstances”, the ministers said.
They did not give figures on their planned cuts of greenhouse gas emissions.
On Thursday, Singapore said it was ready to cut its carbon emissions growth 16 percent by 2020 provided a legally binding global deal to combat climate change was reached after the Copenhagen talks and other nations do their share in cutting emissions.
Developing island states needed “financial and technology support”, said the six ministers, as not all of them were able to implement preventive measures against climate change on their own.
Climate change had the potential to exacerbate political instability and create new conflicts over scarce resources, they warned, adding that “at the same time, … coping with climate change could be one of the bases for creating a more cooperative world”.
The joint statement came just days ahead of the Copenhagen talks, with hopes focusing on getting major emitters – like the US and China – to agree on sizeable emissions cuts by 2020.
