Sarkozy: No global carbon risk from T&T

Juhel Browne jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com
Saturday, November 28th 2009

Trinidad and Tobago does not risk upsetting the world’s carbon emission balance despite its heavily industrialised economy, says French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

He made the comment in Port of Spain yesterday, just one day after Prime Minister Patrick Manning declared that this country, which earns most of its revenue from its bread and butter oil and natural gas sectors, is not one of the world’s largest polluters in the world on a per-capita basis.

’Whatever the significance or importance of Trinidad and Tobago, I don’t think Trinidad and Tobago, these two islands, in any way risk upsetting world balance or carbon balance,’ Sarkozy, speaking through an interpreter, said. He did so during a news conference at the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre (TTIFC) in Port of Spain. The centre is serving as the media centre for the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Sarkozy also announced that France is willing to support a proposal for a fund to be supported by developed countries worth US$10 billion on an annual basis over the next three years, to assist the world’s poorer countries to combat deforestation, lower their carbon emissions and address the impact of climate change they are suffering. As he made the comment, Sarkozy said he could not give an answer to a question with regard to Trinidad and Tobago, when asked about comments he made yesterday that India would be subject to financing under the fund because it is one of the world’s lowest polluters on a per capita basis. ’I will not distribute the monies between the countries. If you look at emission forecasts for next year, the United States and China alone, the two of them account for more than 40 per cent, almost 50 per cent of carbon emissions, which is not the case for India,’ Sarkozy said. He then made reference to the view he had from the room in the hotel he is staying at in Port of Spain during his visit. ’Forgive me, I don’t know sufficiently well the situation of Trinidad and Tobago to give you an answer to your second question, even though I have seen the oil wells from my bedroom window,’ Sarkozy said. Manning was scheduled to hold a news conference at the TTIFC last evening at 6.30 after Sarkozy spoke to reporters, but it was postponed to today without any official explanation. Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161563334