The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) on Thursday announced a proposal designed to safeguard the Earth's climate system and to secure the future survival of its 43 members.
"AOSIS members are at the front line of the devastating impacts of climate change. Today we have put forward a proposal for a legally binding agreement to secure the twin objectives of survival of the Kyoto Protocol and to strengthen the UNFCCC with a new 'Copenhagen' Protocol that can be adopted here in Copenhagen", said Ambassador Dessima Williams of Grenada."Our proposal does forward amendments to secure a strengthened second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol and put forward a new Protocol to be adopted under the Convention which would result in legally binding targets for the USA", said Ambassador Collin Beck of the Solomon Islands.
"We believe our proposal provides a fresh way of looking at how the existing proposals from many different countries can be assembled into a coherent legal form whilst maintaining the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol and the primacy of the UNFCCC as the legitimate international forum for combating climate change and its adverse effects", said Ambassador Antonio Lima of Cape Verde.
"This proposal will help countries not only to adapt to climate change but also to achieve our national goal of becoming a carbon neutral country", said Minister Mohamed Aslam of the Republic of the Maldives.