November 20, 2000

Sinks: No principles!

The working group on sinks finds principles most expendable

After spending most of their time on the operative part of the text, the LULUCF contact group was left with no time to discuss principles in detail. The group replaced detailed principles with only two paragraphs affirming consistency with the convention principles, and environmental and social principles. But objections from G77 and China led to the retention of the principles at the last minute. "I’ll lose my job if I do not work properly for my country and this text does not allow me to do that," protested the Chinese delegate. Some of the principles that were sacrificed and then reinserted include:

• Carbon removed by LULUCF shall be considered a temporary removal. Any annex I party that makes use of such removal to achieve compliance with its protocol commitments shall continue to be responsible for the equivalent emission reduction at the appropriate point in time

• Need to maintain incentives to reduce emissions from fossil fuel combustion and other sources

• All parties must promote sustainable management of forests and other ecosystems, and conserve biological diversity

• Aware of the estimated magnitude and uncertainties related to the residual terrestrial uptake

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