AOSIS upbeat after comments from China and America

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) says hope for a legally binding climate change deal in Copenhagen later this month has been boosted by statements made by the United States and China, two of the world’s largest polluters, according to a report on www.cananews.net.



Grenada, which chairs the 42-member AOSIS group, said that confident is high within the organisation ahead of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark from December 7-18.



“The fact that President Obama recently indicated his attendance and set some targets .The fact that China has been making some comments mean that we are going in the right direction,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Peter David.



China recently announced plans to cut carbon emissions in 2020 by 40 to 45 per cent from the 2005 levels, while Washington is expected inform the conference of its plans to reduce carbon emission.



Prime Minister Tillman Thomas is leading a 17-member team to the UN conference that includes David and Environment Minister Michael Church.



“We are going for success…it means of course being able to convince the major donors to take the necessary mitigation action “said Dr. Dessima Williams, Grenada’s Ambassador to the United Nations and chair of AOSIS.



The 42-member AOSIS) is an intergovernmental organisation of low-lying coastal and small Islands, leading a campaign for deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries.



The group recently rejected calls by some world leaders to stall a legally binding outcome at the climate change Conference later this month.